Oral contraceptives and focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver. Two case reports with electron-microscopic studies

The authors report on the cases of 2 young females who had been on oral contraceptives for 2 and 6 years, respectively. During cholecystectomy, as a subsidiary finding, liver tumour was found which, histologically, proved to be focal nodular hyperplasia. On the basis of their electron-microscopic studies, they consider possible the primary role of pathological vascularization in the development of the tumour. They suggest the radical removal of the tumour and regard as inevitable for the patient the stopping of oral contraceptives, due to the recurrence or malignant transformation of the tumour.