Focal cirrhosis of the liver: Its relation to the so-called hamartoma (adenoma, benign hepatoma)

Abstract

OCAL OR SOLITARY NODULAR hiAssu are oc-F casionally observed in human livers that show no other significant pathological changes. These include metastatic neoplasms, an occasional primary hepatic-cell carcinoma, focal subcapsular hyperplasia of bile ducts, hemangiomas, granulomas, and adrenal rests. In addition there is the lesion that has been reported under a variety of names such as adenoma. hamartoma, benign hepatoma, solitary hyperplastic nodule, and focal cirrhosis. This lesion occurs in both sexes and at any age. It is usually solitary but may be multiple and varies in size from a diameter of a few millimeters to several centimeters. I t is seen by the surgeon when its size is great enough to cause a palpable abdominal mass. More frequently it does not cause the patient any disturbance and occurs as an incidental finding at laparotomy or the postmortem examination, in which cases it must be distinguished from metastatic cancer and primary carcinoma of the liver. Despite the multiplicity of terms that have been used to denote this entity in the literature, the pathological descriptions, photographs, and clinical behavior of the lesion have been strikingly similar. Our present knowledge of the subject is based largely on isolated case reports. No investigations of the problem have included a sufficient number of cases to justify any conclusions regarding histogenesis.