Angioarchitecture and blood circulation in focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver

We sought to clarify important unresolved points regarding angioarchitecture and blood circulation in focal nodular hyperplasia.

Twenty-nine surgically resected focal nodular hyperplasia lesions were examined histologically, immunohistochemically, and radiologically. In three autopsy cases, red- and blue-colored gelatin was injected into the hepatic artery and the portal vein, respectively, to demonstrate the vasculature in focal nodular hyperplasia.

Histologically, no orientation with respect to portal tracts and central veins was evident in any lesion. Within lesions, vessels were classified as: (i) anomalous arteries in the fibrous septa, (ii) capillaries in the fibrous septa, or (iii) venous vessels located mainly in the parenchyma. Vessels and sinusoids adjacent to fibrous septa were stained for CD 34 and von Willebrand factor. The anomalous arteries were connected to the capillaries. Capillaries in the fibrous septa were connected to sinusoids adjacent to fibrous septa. Venous vessels were connected to central or hepatic veins surrounding the lesions. Intranodular sinusoids were connected to the sinusoids in the surrounding normal liver. Red-colored gelatin, injected at autopsy into the hepatic artery, appeared not only in the anomalous arteries but also in capillaries and in sinusoids adjacent to the fibrous septa of the lesion. Angiography clearly depicted hepatic veins located near the lesions in nine cases. Computed tomography during arterial portography disclosed no portal blood flow in the lesions.

In focal nodular hyperplasia, arterial blood flows from the anomalous arteries via the capillaries into sinusoids adjacent to fibrous septa. The blood in the sinusoids drained to the hepatic vein either directly or via perinodular sinusoids.