Morimoto Yoshikazu, Tanaka Yasuhiro, Itoh Toshinori, Yamamoto Shigetaka, Mizuno Hitoshi, Fushimi Hiroaki
Department of Surgery, Osaka Prefecture General Hospital, Osaka, Japan.
Dig Surg. 2002;19(5):413-8. doi: 10.1159/000065822.
Spontaneous regression of a malignant tumor is a rare phenomenon. So far, 13 cases of spontaneous regression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been described in the English literature. We report a case of HCC, with spontaneous complete necrosis demonstrated by histological examination.
A 73-year-old male was admitted to our hospital complaining of general fatigue. CT and US revealed a huge mass measuring 9.5 cm at the left lobe. Angiographies showed hypovascular tumor stains. The levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and PIVKA-2 on admission were high, at 55 ng/ml and 62,300 mAU/ml, respectively. We diagnosed hypovascular HCC and performed a left lobectomy on October 16, 2000.
In the histological examination, no viable cells were found. The levels of AFP and PIVKA-2 had already decreased to 14 ng/ml and 1,420 mAU/ml, before laparotomy.
Changes in tumor markers and histological findings reveal that this phenomenon occurred without specific treatment.
