Keywords
Histopathology
Diagnosis
Submitted : 2026-05-19
Accepted : 2026-06-03
Published : 2026-06-18
Abstract
Objective: To investigate the clinical manifestations, histopathological features, and differential diagnosis of dual-phenotype hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods: Histopathological observation and immunohistochemical study were performed on 3 cases of dual-phenotype hepatocellular carcinoma. Results: The tissues of 3 cases of dual-phenotype hepatocellular carcinoma showed irregular, unevenly sized nests and trabeculae. One case was dominated by fibrous stroma with indistinct sinusoids, and 2 cases had obvious sinusoids. The cells were large, polygonal, with strong cell adhesion, relatively clear cell boundaries, and abundant and strongly eosinophilic cytoplasm. The cell nuclei exhibited significant pleomorphism and atypia, with thick nuclear membranes, coarse chromatin in clumps, obvious nucleoli, and visible mitoses. Conclusion: Dual-phenotype hepatocellular carcinoma is a unique and highly aggressive subtype of primary liver cancer, which is relatively rare and often occurs in patients with hepatitis and cirrhosis, with abdominal pain as the main clinical symptom. It has the biological behaviors of both hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma, and the clinical prognosis is poor.
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