[A bone metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma]

Reported is a case of a bone metastasis of a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A 61-year-old man with an unresectable HCC, which had been detected on spontaneous rupture, complained of a severe neck pain and numbness of both arms. A roentgenogram of the cervix showed destruction in the spinous process of the third cervical vertebra, and an MRI revealed a vertebral tumor compressing the spinal cord. Thus, the tumor was surgically removed. A pathological examination of the tumor revealed it to have the characteristic features on an HCC. One month after its removal, however, an iliac bone metastasis that was causing pain was found, and, again, an excision of the new tumor was performed. Pain symptoms disappeared after these operations. Treatment of an HCC bone metastasis is palliative, however, it is beneficial in maintaining the quality of the patient's remaining life.