[Liver cell carcinoma--pathomorphology and differential diagnosis]

Modern imaging techniques permit the detection of small and smaller nodular lesions of the liver. The classification and differential diagnosis of these lesions is still mainly based on pathomorphological analysis. With the exception of metastases from extra-hepatic malignant tumors, hepatocellular carcinoma is the most frequent malignant tumor of the liver. Whereas the classical variant of hepatocellular carcinoma preferentially arises in the cirrhotic liver, the fibrolamellar variant is found without association to cirrhosis and hepatitis B infection in the liver of young adults. Differential diagnosis of hepatocellular nodular lesions includes focal fatty change, focal nodular hyperplasia, liver cell adenoma, large regenerative nodules and dysplastic nodular lesions.