Rapid evolution of chronic viral hepatitis into hepatocellular carcinoma after beta-interferon treatment

A 62-year-old man, affected by Chronic Active Hepatitis (discovered in 1993) and treated with interferon, referred to our department with increased abdominal volume, persistent abdominal pain, continuous-remittent fever and jaundice. CT scan of the liver revealed a hypodense, not capsulated, infiltrative, solid formation in the right lobe. US guided biopsy showed multinucleated giant cells, with eosinophilic cytoplasm and pleomorphism of the nuclei, arranged in several thick trabecula lined by endothelial cells or formed bile containing acini. In our case, the rapid evolution of chronic viral hepatitis towards HCC calls for a careful evaluation of the role of IFN therapy, since this drug is widely used in chronic liver diseases.