Case report of hepatocellular carcinoma and cytofluorometric nuclear DNA ploidy

Cytofluorometric nuclear DNA ploidy analysis was performed in two cases of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study was done to get the information about clinical behavior of tissues and to assess the prognosis. In both cases, almost all the liver function tests were abnormal, the tumors were thickly encapsulated, and the size of the tumors were below 5 cm in diameter. The DNA distribution pattern was categorized in two types, diploid and aneuploid with low and high ploidy, according to the mode and degree of dispersion of cells on the DNA histogram. Low ploidy pattern of histogram was found in one and diploidy pattern in another case. The serum alpha FP level was found high in case of diploidy pattern of histogram. The case of diploidy pattern of histogram died earlier than the case of aneuploid low ploidy pattern of histogram. The DNA ploidy patterns did not relate to the survival rates of patients. A preoperative cytofluorometric nuclear DNA ploidy analysis on biopsy specimens may be potentially useful to get the information about clinical behavior of tissues, to do the selective surgical procedures, and to assess the prognosis.