A case of non-b non-c hepatocellular carcinoma associated with autoimmune hepatitis

Abstract

A 65-year-old woman, who had been diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) at age 49, was referred to our hospital because of a mass lesion in the S8 region of the liver detected by abdominal CT scan. Hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus markers were negative, and serum antinuclear antibody was positive. Abdominal CT scan and hepatic angiography indicated that the mass lesion was a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and partial hepatectomy was performed in April 2006. The resected specimen from the non-tumorous lesion showed AIH, and the 4 cm in diameter tumorous lesion was a moderately differentiated HCC. Although many studies have speculated that the development of HCC based on AIH might be related to immunosuppressive therapy, hepatitis virus and liver cirrhosis, there was no history of these disorders in this case. Therefore, the possibility of HCC should regularly be considered when following up AIH long-term.