Abstract
A 50 year old man was admitted to the Gifu Prefectural Gifu Hospital because of right hypochondralgia. Physical examination revealed hepatosplenomegaly and the hard enlarged cervical lymph nodes. Laboratory findings on admission was as follows: HBsAg negative by RIA and RPHA, anti-HBs negative by PHA, anti-HBc positive 212 by IAHA, AFP 320 ng/ml. A 99mTc-phytate liver scintigram showed large filling defects in the right and left lobe of the liver.
The diagnosis of hepatoma was considered and intravenous administration of Adriamycin was started with a daily dose of 10mg/day. The patient clinically improved transiently, and then gradually exacerbated and died. Pathological diagnosis by the autopsy of the liver was hepatoma. After administration of 300mg ADM, HBsAg in serum was detected by RIA, and then the HBsAg titer increased to 213 by RPHA. It is suspected that immunosuppression by administration of ADM may permit an increase in viral replication sufficient for expression of HBsAg in the serum.
