[Focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver]

Report about 19 cases of focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver observed from 1971 to June 1981. The autopsy cases are 7 women between 19 and 62 years of age. The intake of oral contraceptives over a long time period was known in 4 cases; once a node was detected in a 19-year-old woman after a normal pregnancy (death from amniotic fluid embolism), once in a 62-year-old woman who had a longterm diabetes, and once in a 47-year-old woman who died from acute alcoholic intoxication; probably contraceptives had not been taken. The biopsy cases are 11 women between 27 and 50 years of age and a man 25 years of age. Ten times the nodes were found on occasion of cholecystectomy, once during gastric resection, and once during vagotomy. 4 women took oral contraceptives for 5 to 101/2, 2 others for about 2 years. A 34-year-old woman had 7 pregnancies one shortly after the other. 4 women did not use oral contraceptives. In 12 of 18 women a hormonal induction seems possible, in 10 cases by oral contraceptives and in 2 cases by pregnancies. Complications such as bleedings we did not find.