Hyperplasia of small hepatic cells in the precancerous condition of cirrhotic livers.

Karyometrical analysis was performed in order to characterize histologically the precancerous condition of cirrhotic livers. The following parameters of hepatocytic nuclei were estimated in 29 normal and 35 cirrhotic livers: Nvo, the number of nuclei in a unit volume of hepatic tissue; D, the mean of nuclear diameters; s. the standard deviation of nuclear diameters (the degree of anisokaryosis); and N/C, the nucleocytoplasmic volume ratio. Results indicate: (1) In normal livers, Nvo is inversely correlated with age (r = 0.53, p less than 0.01), D and s are positively correlated with age (r = 0.68, p less than 0.01, and r = 0.75, p less than 0.01, respectively) and N/C is almost constant regardless of age. (2) Each of the parameters is independent of age in cirrhotic livers. (3) Nvo and N/C are larger, and D and s are smaller in cirrhotic livers with hepatocellular carcinoma than in those without carcinoma (p less than 0.05). From these results, it is concluded that the parenchyma of cirrhotic livers with hepatocellular carcinoma, which is in strongly precancerous conditions, can be characterized by hyperplasia of small hepatic cells rather than by liver cell dysplasia which is defined by marked anisokaryosis and nuclear pleomorphism.