7773                PRIMARY HEPATOCARCINOMA

The patient was a man aged 68 who was admitted with an enlarged irregular liver.  He died after a few days in hospital.  No other information is available.  At postmortem the liver was greatly enlarged (weight 2960 gm) and contained large tumour masses.  No other primary carcinoma was present elsewhere in the body.

The specimen is a slice of the liver showing massive neoplastic infiltration.  The tumour is lobular with thick fibrous septa and there is much yellow cellular necrosis and several areas of interstitial haemorrhage.  The uninvolved liver shows evidence of long-standing cirrhosis.  Histology shows tubular and solid-acinar large cuboidal and columnar-celled carcinoma.  Some solid cords are present.  The appearance is consistent with a primary hepatoma.