[Increased incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in abstinent patients with alcoholic cirrhosis].

The morphological features of alcoholic liver diseases were followed up for a long period in patients who continued alcoholic intake and those in whom alcoholic intake was discontinued or reduced. In the continued alcoholic intake group, liver cirrhosis, which had not been seen at the first examination, appeared in 17 of the 25 cases, whereas in the abstinence or alcohol reduction group, only 6 of the 25 cases developed liver cirrhosis. Thus, the incidence of liver cirrhosis was evidently higher in patients who continued alcoholic intake. In the continued alcoholic intake group, 11 cases had liver cirrhosis at the first examination, with 2 of these 11 cases developing hepatoma during the follow-up period. In the abstinence or alcohol reduction group, 34 cases had liver cirrhosis at the first examination and 17 of them developed hepatoma. Thus, the incidence of hepatoma which developed from liver cirrhosis was higher in the abstinence or alcohol reduction group. Of the 38 cases who discontinued alcoholic intake, 12 developed hepatoma 4 years (on the average) after the beginning of abstinence. Of the 21 cases who reduced the amount of alcoholic intake, 5 developed hepatoma 9 years and 2 months (on the average) after reduction of alcoholic intake. Among others, patients who suddenly discontinued alcoholic intake after many years of heavy drinking tended to develop hepatoma in a relatively short time after abstinence.