A CASE OF HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA ASSOCIATED WITH AUTOIMMUNE HEPATITIS

We report a case of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) associated with aut oimmune hepatitis in an 80-year-old female. The patient exhibited the presence of a liver injury 10 years previously. However, because the e tiology was not identified, she did not receive specific treatment suc h as glucocorticoid therapy. She was admitted to our hospital because of the presence of a mass lesion in the S-8 region of the liver detect ed by ultrasonography. Serum alanine and aspartate aminotransferase le vels were elevated and the serum gamma-globulin level was increased to more than 2.5 g/dl. Serum autoantibodies such as antinuclear antibody and anti-DNA antibody were positive. Hepatitis virus markers and thei r genes for hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) were n egative in the serum. The biopsied specimen from the non-tumorous lesi on showed a marked infiltration of chronic inflammatory cells, particu larly plasma cells, and the tumorous lesion was well to moderately dif ferentiated HCC. HBV DNA and HCV RNA were not detected in the tissue s pecimen from the non-tumorous lesion. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Irelan d Ltd. All rights reserved.