Two nodules of hepatic adenomatous hyperplasia (AH) resembling focal nodular hyperplasia were found in two patients with cirrhosis or chronic active hepatitis. Imaging techniques suggested that the nodules were hepatocellular carcinoma. Pathological examination showed that the nodules (approximately 1.0 cm in diameter) were clearly demarcated from the surrounding liver tissue, and contained foci of scar-like fibrosis in the centre of the nodules. Microscopically, they contained portal tracts and fulfilled the criteria of AH. A large number of arteries were present in the central scar-like fibrosis as well as in the parenchyma of the nodules. There were foci of mildly atypical hepatocytes in one nodule but no cellular atypia in the other. Morphometric analysis showed that the cumulative luminal area of arteries per unit area was much greater in the nodules than in the extranodular liver tissues, while the cumulative luminal area of portal veins per unit area was much less in the nodules than in the extranodular liver tissues. Although the pathogenesis is unclear, these nodules might have developed through localized vascular changes associated with chronic liver disease, may have arisen from pre-existing arterial malformation, or may represent the early stages of angiogenesis in hepatocarcinogenesis.
Results of orcein staining and findings obtained with non-contrast-medium-enhanced computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging (T1- and T2-weighted images) were compared for 53 histologically confirmed hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). HCCs were 5 cm in the largest diameter. Three lesions with diffuse and strong orcein staining were highly attenuating on nonenhanced CT images. Electron x-ray microanalysis of one of them revealed copper. The high attenuation value at nonenhanced CT may have been due to the abundant copper-binding protein in the cancer cells. The difference between orcein staining results and attenuation patterns at CT was statistically significant (chi 2, P less than .001). It could not be concluded that the paramagnetic effects of copper in HCC had an influence on signal intensity on MR images. The difference between orcein staining results and signal-intensity patterns on T1- and T2-weighted images was not statistically significant.
We suggest that the combination of precontrast SVCT and CT-ADP is an essential modality to screen for HCC in patients with chronic liver disease. CT-EP did not contribute to the detection of hypervascular HCC.
Human amniotic membrane (AM) has been used widely as graft biomaterial for a variety of clinical applications. But, there are some persistent problems related to the preparation, storage, and sterilization. To resolve these problems, we developed hyperdry AM (HD-AM) using far-infrared rays, depression of air, and microwaves and then sterilized by γ-ray irradiation. To elucidate the benefit of HD-AM as biological materials, compare with the physical and histological properties of HD-AM with a freeze-dried AM (FD-AM) as typical freeze-dried methods, evaluate the safety of HD-AM in vivo experiment used nude mice, and demonstrate the feasibility of HD-AM transplant in pterygium. The water permeability and the sieving coefficient of HD-AM were significantly lower than that of FD-AM. HD-AM has kept the morphological structure of epithelium and connective tissues. At 18 months after transplanted, single and multilayers of HD-AM in the intraperitoneal cavity was degraded without any infiltrated cells. For clinical treatment, recurrence of pterygium and regrowth of the subconjunctival fibrosis were not observed during the 6-month follow-up periods after the surgery. It was proposed that HD-AM was a safe and effective new biological material for clinical use including treatment for recurrent pterygium.
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