Hepatocelluilar carcinoma: a possible complication of oral contraceptive steroids

A patient was found to have developed a primary hepatocellular carcinoma after taking an oral contraceptive steroid preparation for four years. After resection of the tumour over five years ago, and resumption of the birth control Pill, a recurrent hepatocellular caricnoma has developed. The risk of this complicationis extremely small and appears to be related to the duration of ingestion of the drug and to the amount of oestrogen present in the preparation used. The modes of presentation of these tumours and the methods of investigation are outlined, and the high incidence of spontaneous rupture causing life-threatening intraperitoneal haemorrhage is emphasized.