Hepatocellular carcinoma with the carcinoid syndrome

Abstract

A case of histologically and biochemically proven hepatocellular carcinoma is reported. The patient had explosive diarrhea and was found to have increased levels of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in the urine on several determinations. The tumor of the liver was studied biochemically and shown to synthesize albumin and fibrinogen, thus proving it to be of liver origin. It was also found to have biochemical properties of a carcinoid tumor of the foregut-origin type.