Clinicopathologic features of combined hepatic carcinoma

Abstract

To investigate clinicopathological features of combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma (C-HCC-CC) with neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) differentiation and to review the literature. The clinical data, histological manifestations and immunohistochemical staining results of two cases of C-HCC-CC were analyzed along with a review of the current literature. Both patients were male with an average age of 57.5 years. Both patients were positive for hepatitis B virus antigen. The tumors of both cases demonstrated the following 3 unequivocal mixed elements: (1) polygonal epithelial tumor cells growing in nests or trabeculae with positive staining for Hepatocyte and AFP, diagnostic of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Cytoplasmic bile production was present in the tumor cells in one case; (2) elliptic or short spindle-shape small blue tumor cells growing in nests or organoid pattern with Syn/CgA/CD56 positivity confirming the presence of neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) component; (3) oval tumor cells growing in nests or glandular forms with positivity of CK19 and CK7 confirming differentiation of cholangiocarcinoma (CC). In both cases, the tumors contained at least 20% of each of HCC, NEC and CC components. C-HCC-CC with NEC is a rare form of primary malignancy of the liver with a poor prognosis.