PMID: 32509081Jun 9, 2020Paper

A case of small hepatocellular carcinoma with malignant ductular reaction

International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Pathology
Tomohiro IwasakiTadashi Terada

Abstract

Herein reported is the unique case of a small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with several foci of a minor (10% in area) component of "malignant ductular reactions". The patient was 51-year-old man who was a drinker. HBV/HCV were negative. The tumor was small (12×10×11 mm), solid, expansile and reddish-brown, and contained fibrous septa. The background was cirrhotic without alcoholic features. Histologically, the tumor was well differentiated HCC, and, besides the HCC, it contained several small foci consisting of the following four biliary epithelial elements: clusters of small cells (CSC), ductules (D), ductular hepatocytes (DH), and bile ducts (BD). The proportion of area was as follows: HCC 90%, CSC 3%, D 3%, DH 2%, and BD 2%. These non-HCC elements were intimately admixed and formed several foci that were characteristically located in the fibrous septa (FS), except for CSC which were situated among HCC cells close to FS. There were gradual merges between HCC and CSC, CSC and D, D and DH, and D and BD, respectively. Cells of CSC and D resembled rat oval cells. Cells of these four elements had atypical features regarded as malignant. Immunohistochemically (IHC), HCC were positive for arginase, HepPar1, and less frequently CK7...Continue Reading

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