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Published: July 2009

Hepatocellular Carcinoma 11 and a Half Years after the Resolution of Chronic
Hepatitis C Virus Infection Successfully Treated with Interferon

Naoki Hotta, Minoru Ayada, Akihiko Okumura, Tetsuya Ishikawa, Ken Sato, Tomohiko
Oohashi, Yasutaka Hijikata, Shinichi Kakumu

Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Aichi Medical
University School of Medicine, Aichi, Japan

Case Rep Gastroenterol 2009;3:175-181 (DOI: 10.1159/000225244)

Abstract
A 41-year-old Japanese man had received successful interferon (IFN) therapy
against chronic hepatitis C in 1994. Since then, serum hepatitis C virus (HCV)
RNA had been negative, and aminotransferase levels had been continuously normal.
He had abstained from alcohol. However, his serum aminotransferase levels showed
slight elevation as his body weight increased gradually. He was diagnosed as
having fatty liver and diabetes mellitus. In January 2006, 11 and a half years
after the resolution of HCV infection, he was found to have a hepatic nodule 4.0
cm in diameter at liver S4/8 region by plain abdominal CT at an annual follow-up
examination. He was diagnosed as having hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by
angiography. The tumor was curatively resected and its histological diagnosis
was moderately differentiated HCC. Noncancerous lesion of the liver revealed
fibrosis of stage F2 and mild inflammation of grade A1 with mild steatosis. This
case suggests that all
patients with chronic HCV infection should be followed as long as possible for
the potential development of HCC even after clearance of the virus.

Author Contacts
Dr. Naoki Hotta
Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology Aichi Medical
University School of Medicine, 21 Karimata Yazako, Nagakute-cho
Aichi 480-1195 (Japan)
Tel. +81 561 62 3311 ext. 2382, Fax +81 561 63 0796, E-Mail naokiki@aichi-
med-u.ac. jp


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