Multiple hepatic adenomas caused by long-term administration of androgenicsteroids for aplastic anemia in association with familial adenomatous polyposis

We report a rare case of hepatic adenomas (HA), in a 20-year-old Japanese g irl treated for 6 years with anabolic androgens for aplastic anemia. In a r eview of the world literature using computer MEDLINE search, we found only 17 cases of androgen-induced HA published between 1975 and 1998 in the Engl ish-language literature. The patient was referred to US because of liver le sions detected during a follow-up examination for familial adenomatous poly posis. After being diagnosed with aplastic anemia at 14 years of age, she h ad been treated with oxymetholone (30 mg/day) for 6 years. Laboratory evalu ation revealed normal liver function. Ultrasonography (US) and computed tom ography (CT) demonstrated multiple liver lesions. Histopathological examina tions of biopsied specimens from the liver tumor showed HA. After the patie nt was diagnosed with HA, oxymetholone was tapered off. Patients taking and rogenic-anabolic steroids should be carefully monitored with US and CT and tumor markers should be measured. This report may be helpful in identifying the population who is at risk of developing hepatic sex hormone-related tu mors.