Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Non-cirrhotic Liver Arises with a More Advanced Tumoral Appearance: A Single-Center Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: A small proportion of all hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) arise in a non-cirrhotic liver (NCL). However, our knowledge about the HCCs developing in a NCL is scarce. This study was undertaken to investigate the characteristics and survival course of this patient group. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the database of patients with HCC at a tertiary center during a 10-year period (2009-2019). All demographic, clinical, laboratory, and tumoral features with survival outcomes were compared between the HCC-CL and HCC-NCL groups. RESULTS: Out of 384 HCC cases, 11.2% (n = 43) had no cirrhosis. The dominant etiology in the HCC-NCL group was hepatitis B virus (n = 26, 60.5%), followed by non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (n = 10, 23.2%), and hepatitis C virus (n = 7, 16.3%). The maximum tumor diameter was approximately 2 times larger in the HCC-NCL group (HCC-NCL: 90 mm vs. HCC-CL: 46.5 mm, P < .001). The proportion of patients with vascular (HCC-NCL: 27.9% vs. HCC-CL: 8.6%, P < .001) and extrahepatic invasion (HCC-NCL: 14% vs. HCC-CL: 3%, P = .001) were prominently higher in the HCC-NCL group. Patients with HCC-NCL were less often detected in early-curable stages (BCLC 0-A) than those in the HCC-CL group (HCC-NCL: 16.3% vs. HCC-CL: 34.9%, P = .004). The overall survival was not different between the 2 groups (HCC-NCL: 19.4 ± 9.8 months vs. HCC-CL: 17.5 ± 2.3 months, P = .581). CONCLUSION: HCC in NCL is diagnosed at more advanced tumoral stages with larger tumor size and more often with vascular and extrahepatic spread. Despite the preserved liver functions, the overall survival is not prolonged in HCCs without cirrhosis, due to the late recognition.

Clinical significance of isolated abnormal intestinal findings in magnetic resonance enterography in patients with suspected small bowel disease.

PURPOSE: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRE) is a well-established adjunct diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of Crohn's Disease (CD), as ileocolonoscopy can sometimes be falsely reassuring when CD skips distal terminal ileum. We aimed to determine the frequency and clinical significance of isolated abnormal small bowel findings in MRE with normal ileal view in ileoscopy. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed findings from 1611 MRE studies that were conducted between 2012 and 2018 to detect patients bearing abnormal intestinal findings and having full ileocolonoscopy. After exclusion of normal or repetitive MRE scans and previously known CD, 147 patients with abnormal MRE detected. MRE scans were categorized as suspicious of CD and non-specific findings. RESULTS: Out of 147 patients with abnormal MRE, 122 (83%) had terminal ileum involvement in MRE consistent with ileoscopy findings. Twenty-five (17%) patients were found to have solitarily abnormal intestinal findings in MRE with normal ileoscopy. Only 3 (12%) were diagnosed with CD initially, and all had MRE findings suspicious of CD. The remainder 40% (n = 10) were diagnosed with non-Crohn's small bowel disease after further investigation, while in the other 48% (n = 12) abnormal MRE findings could not be explained with any organic disease in the follow-up. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated that only a small portion of patients with isolated abnormal intestinal findings in MRE is CD, and more than that are non-crohn's small bowel diseases. These findings, even if they carry the suspicion of CD, do not transform to CD in the long-term follow-up.