IASL/AFASLD 2006 - Abstract Notification - Abstract I.D.736 Background/Aims: Hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) are occasionally disclosed a hypovascular pattern. The clinical features and implications of hypovascular HCC have not been clearly elucidated. The aim of this study is to disclose the clinical characteristics of hypovascular HCCs with size ? 2 cm Methods: From January 2000 to June 2002, patients who were diagnosed having HCC with tumor size > 2 cm and had received angiography at China Medical University Hospital were enrolled into this study for analysis. HCCs were considered hypovascular if there was no tumor stain showed on conventional angiography and/or digital subtraction angiography (DSA). Results: Seven (6.4%) of 110 HCC patients had hypovascular HCCs (hypovascular group). The age, sex distribution, liver function status and serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels in the hypovascular group were not significantly different from the remaining 103 cases with tumor stains on angiography (non-hypovascular group). Six (85.7%) of the seven patients with hypovascular HCC were positive for antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV), this hepatitis marker was positive only in 29 (28.1%) of the non-hypovascular group (P = 0.004). The characteristics of HCC, including, tumor size, types and stages of HCC, pathological findings, methods of treatment, response to Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and survivals were not significantly different between the two groups of HCC patients. Conclusions: Hypovascular HCC is not a rare condition. Patients with hypovascular HCC may be more prevalent of HCV infection, but other clinical and pathological characteristics, including the response to TACE, are not significantly different from those of the patients with non-hypovascular HCCs. Key words: Hypovascular hepatocellular carcinoma; HCV infection?
