Liver-cell dysplasia and hepatocellular carcinoma

Liver-cell dysplasia is a well known histological entity with preneoplastic significance in experimental hepatic carcinogenesis. However, while the association of liver-cell dysplasia with hepatitis B virus can be considered as established, it is still controversial whether this lesion represents a premalignant condition in cirrhotic patients. Efforts have been made to render its morphological assessment more reliable, but no firm conclusions can be drawn from the available clinical studies, which are mainly retrospective or based on autopsy series. Preliminary results from a prospective study argue that liver-cell dysplasia is associated with an increased risk to hepatocellular carcinoma. The emergence of liver-cell dysplasia as a preneoplastic lesion in cirrhotic patients will have some impact in the future on their management, including selection for closer monitoring in early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma and for liver transplantation.