FINE-NEEDLE ASPIRATION BIOPSY OF HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA RESEMBLING NEUROENDOCRINE TUMOR - A CASE-REPORT

BACKGROUND: The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is steadil y increasing in western countries. Its present incidence in Italy is a bout 6.9/100,000. The diagnosis is usually made by a combination of ul trasound (US), computed tomography (CT) and fine needle aspiration bio psy (FNAB). HCC resembling a neuroendocrine tumor has been described, but no previous FNAB diagnosis was reported. CASE: An asymptomatic 45- year-old man underwent a CT scan after incidental US detection of mult iple focal lesions in both lobes of the liver. FNAB showed clusters of small neoplastic cells with hyperchromatic nuclei and scanty cytoplas m. A thin tissue cove showed a microacinar pattern very similar to tha t of a neuroendocrine tumor. A large panel of specific antibodies disp layed an immunophenotype consistent with HCC. CONCLUSION: In this rare variant of HCC, the final diagnosis could be assessed only by correla ting the cytologic, microhistologic and immunohistochemical features.