Korean J Gastroenterol.  2001 Dec;38(6):436-439.

A Case of Spontaneous Regression of Metastatic Hepatocellular Carcinoma

• Jung DY
• Kim YB
• Lee YH
• Lee YK
• Kim JR
• Bae YO
• Cho IS

Abstract

We experienced a 58-year-old man with hepatitis B virus-related liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, who had undergone spontaneous regression. At the first admission, the patient had 9 cm sized hepatic mass, multiple metastatic pulmonary nodules, and tumor thrombi of hepatic vein, inferior vena cava, and right atrium on chest X-ray and abdominal CT scan. Serum alpha-fetoprotein level was 13,742 ng/mL. Twenty months after the initial diagnosis, the size of hepatic mass decreased to 6 cm and adjacent nodules disappeared on ultrasonography and serum alpha-fetoprotein level decreased to normal range. The pulmonary nodules and tumor thrombi were no longer detectable by chest x-rays, ultrasonography, CT scan, and echocardiography on 20, 42, and 55 months later. He died of hepatic encephalopathy in 56 months after the initial diagnosis.

MeSH Terms

alpha-Fetoproteins
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular*
Diagnosis
Echocardiography
Heart Atria
Hepatic Encephalopathy
Hepatic Veins
Hepatitis B
Humans
Liver Cirrhosis
Middle Aged
Reference Values
Thorax
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Ultrasonography
Vena Cava, Inferior
alpha-Fetoproteins