Clinical and pathological features of cryptogenic liver cancer

Objective To investigate the clinical and pathological features of cryptogenic liver cancer,and to determine its etiology and pathogenesis. Methods A total of 22 patients with cryptogenic liver cancer who underwent surgical treatment in China- Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University from January 2010 to December 2015 were enrolled,and their clinical and pathological data were analyzed. Results The mean age of these patients was 57 years,and the male / female ratio was 1. 7 ∶ 1. Sixteen patients( 72. 7%) were complicated by fatty liver disease,and 13 patients( 59. 1%) had clinical symptoms such as abdominal pain and abdominal distension. The dominant abnormalities in biochemical examinations were increases in alkaline phosphatase and / or gamma- glutamyl transpeptidase,which occurred in 14 patients( 63. 6%). The results of pathological examination showed that 16 patients( 72. 7%) had cholangiocellular carcinoma,20( 90. 9%)had a single tumor,14( 63. 6%) had a tumor diameter of < 5 cm,4( 18. 2%) had local invasion,and 2( 9. 1%) had vessel invasion.The immunohistochemical results revealed 19 Ki67- positive patients,13 CK17- positive patients,and 16 CK19- positive patients. Conclusion The analyses of the clinical and pathological features of cryptogenic liver cancer confirm that nonalcoholic steatohepatitis( NASH)is one of the major pathogenic factors for cryptogenic liver cancer,and most liver cancer cases caused by NASH are single adenocarcinoma.