[How to improve the histopathological diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma in daily practice?]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers in the world with an increasing incidence. Recently, an East-West consensus on the histopathologic criteria for the diagnosis of high-grade dysplastic nodules and early hepatocellular carcinoma was published. In addition to classical morphological criteria such as nucleocytoplasmic ratio, thickness of cell plates, mitotic index, and architectural disturbance, a new one--the stromal invasion--was recognized as a crucial criterion for the diagnosis of early HCC. Immunohistochemical detection of glypican--3 was shown as a specific marker for HCC that can be used to distinguish between the benign hepatocellular lesions and HCC.