Significance of endothelium in the fine-needle aspiration biopsy diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma

✍ Scribed by Martha Bishop Pitman; Wanda M. Szyfelbein

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1995
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 678 KB
• Volume: 12
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 8755-1039
• DOI: 10.1002/dc.2840120304

✦ Synopsis

We reviewed fine-needle aspiration biopsies (FNAB) of hepatocel-M a r carcinoma (HCC) (n = 35), benign hepatic processes (n = 35), cholangiocarcinoma (CC) (n = 6). and metastatic tumors (n = 100) to evaluate the significance of endothelium present either peripherally-wrapping around groups of cells, (peripheral endothelium (PE)). or transgressing sheets of cells (transgressing endothelium (TE)), in distinguishing these lesions. These patterns were assessed as absent, focal, or prominent.

Thirty-three of 35 (94%) HCCs contained either focal orprominent PE or TE, compared to only 3 of 35 (9%) benign hepatocytic lesions. Only one benign lesion contained a prominent endothelial component (TE only). Two cases of HCC failed to contain endothelium, one fibrolamellar variant and one well-differentiated HCC. These differences were statistically signiJcant (P < sensitivity 94%, specificity 91 %, and positive predictive value [PPV] 92%).

Neitherpattern of endothelium waspresent in any CC or metastatic tumor. These differences were also statistically signi'jicant (P < lo-', sensitivity 94%, and specijicity and PVP 100%).

We conclude that the presence of endothelium, at least focally in either one or both distinctive patterns, is highly sensitive and speci'jic for HCC and aides in distinguishing it from benign