Primary liver carcinoma -- clinical picture and diagnostic possibilities. A review of seventy-five cases.

A study was performed on a group of 75 patients with primary liver carcinoma (PLC) treated at the 1st Medical Department in Prague during past 24 years. The average age of patients when they died was 59.9 years. 86.7 per cent of the patients were men; in 88.0 per cent of cases PLC was associated with liver cirrhosis. It was found that the frequency of PLC incidence is increasing. Case histories, subjective complaints and laboratory findings were analyzed in these patients. The diagnostic contribution of some examination methods was evaluated (laparoscopy with the aimed liver biopsy in 50% of the cases, isotopic methods in 34.6% of cases, roentgenologic methods in 36.0% of cases, detection of alpha-1 fetoprotein in serum in 55.5% of cases). The analysis of causes of death was also performed. Histologic classification proved the hepatocellular carcinoma in 94.6 per cent of patients, the cholangiocellular carcinoma was found only in 4 patients. The agreement of clinical diagnoses with the pathologic-anatomical diagnosis was found in 70.6% of cases.