J Korean Radiol Soc.  1995 Jul;33(1):79-85.

Patterns of Recurrence after Curative Resection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Radiological Type

• Chang JC
• Lee JK
• Lee JW

Abstract

PURPOSE
To obtain the useful information about tumor behavior of hepatocellular carcinoma by analyzing the recurrence pattern after curative resection.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Forty-two patients who underwent curative resection of hepatocellular carcinoma were analyzed. Based on the firstly detected radiologic recurrence, we classified recurrence patterns into three types, type I;marginal recurrence, type II;intrahepatic nodular(multiple, single) and type III;extrahepatic. We also analyzed its duration of recurrence after curative resection.
RESULTS
Eighteen patients showed no radiologic recurrence during follow-up period(mean 19.2 months). Twenty-four patients showed radiologic recurrence at 29 sites and its mean duration was 11.0 months. Recurrence patterns were seven cases in type I, 14 cases in type II(multiple 11, single three), eight cases in type III including two omental, two extrahepatic lymph node, two brain, one spine, and one intracranial metastasis. Among the extrahepatic recurrences, five cases showed only distant metastasis without hepatic recurrence. Mean duration of recurrence according to the site was 16.0 months in type I, 12.6 months in type II, 12.3 months in type III. Among 20 patients with single site recurrence, type 11(9.0 months) was earlier than type 1(10.3 months).
CONCLUSION
lntrahepatic recurrence is more common than extrahepatic recurrence. Intrahepatic nodular, especially multinodular recurrence, is more common than marginal recurrence. Intrahepatic recurrence has tendency to develope earlier metastain earlier than marginal recurrence.

MeSH Terms

Brain
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular*
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Lymph Nodes
Neoplasm Metastasis
Recurrence*
Spine