[Highly differentiated primary liver cell carcinoma. 2 case reports]

The hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequently occurring primary hepatic tumour. Particular difficulties in diagnosis are encountered with the highly differentiated carcinoma. The imaging processes are of varying rank. Sonography and CT--and with some restrictions also scintigraphy--can represent focal findings in the liver with the highest degree of safety. With the highly differentiated tumour, angiography is less helpful, since it does not supply safe criteria of malignancy. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is not a reliable parameter in case of a small highly differentiated carcinoma. Nevertheless, cirrhosis patients with the greatest risk factor (HBV, haemochromatosis and long-standing alcohol-conditioned cirrhosis of many years) should be followed up and controlled by sonography and AFP determination every 6 months.