Interobserver and intraobserver variability in evaluating vascular invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background And Aim: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unique in that the presence of vascular invasion significantly changes tumor stage. Even though searching for vascular invasion is a common practice in surgical pathology, there appears to be a great variation among pathologists in its recognition. This study was designed to assess whether HCC could be accurately staged using vascular invasion as a staging parameter.

Expression of hepatocyte antigen in small intestinal epithelium and adenocarcinoma.

Hepatocyte antigen is recognized by antibody Hep Par 1, a widely used diagnostic immunomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma and tumors with hepatoid differentiation. Hepatocyte antigen expression has also been detected in nonneoplastic small intestinal epithelium, but expression in small intestinal adenocarcinoma has not been well investigated. We immunohistochemically examined 39 nonampullary small intestinal adenocarcinomas for hepatocyte antigen expression; 34 cases contained normal-appearing nonneoplastic small intestinal mucosa on the same tissue sections.