[Focal nodular hyperplasia of liver: a clinicopathologic study of 238 patients].

Objective To study the clinicopathologic features of focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH)of liver. Methods The clinical, radiologic, pathologic findings and follow-up data of 238 cases of FNH were retrospectively analyzed. Results The patients included 93 females and 145 males. The age of the patients ranged from 11 to 77 years(median=39.1 years). Amongst the 233 patients who had clinical information available, 188 were asymptomatic, 216 had no history of hepatitis B and/or C infection and 232had negative serum alpha-fetoprotein level. Amongst the 185 patients who had undergone radiologic examination, 123(66.5%) were accurately diagnosed as such. Macroscopically, of the 284 lesions from 238 patients, the average diameter was 3.7cm. Two hundred and fifteen cases (90.3%) were solitary, 172cases were located in the right lobe and 115(40.5%) had central stellate fibrotic scars or lobulated cut surface. Histologically, 229 lesions belonged to classic type and 9 lesions were of non-classic type. The latter was further classified as the telangiectatic form (6 lesions ) and the mixed hyperplastic and adenomatous form(3 lesions). There was no evidence of significant cytologic atypia. Follow-up data were available in 173 patients (72.7%).None of them died of the disease and 2 patients suffered from relapses after 2 and 4 years, respectively. Conclusions FNH is a hyperplastic response of normal liver cells to local blood flow anomalies. It has no obvious sex predilection and more than 66% can be diagnosed accurately with radiologic examination. The lesions in the current study show no cytologic atypia. Key words: Liver diseases;  Hyperplasia;  Diagnosis