| [ Summary ] |
Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) can progress to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We exhibit the clinical features of NASH patients with HCC. In a cross-sectional multicenter study in Japan, we examined 87 patients (median age 72 years, 62 % male) with histologically proven NASH who developed HCC. Obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension were present in 54 (62 %), 51 (59 %), 24 (28 %), and 47 (54 %) of patients, respectively. In nontumorous liver tissues the degree of fibrosis was stage 1 in 10 patients (11 %), stage 2 in 15 (17 %), stage 3 in 18 (21 %) and stage 4 (i. e., liver cirrhosis) in 44 (51 %). The prevalence of cirrhosis was significantly lower in male patients (39 %), compared with female patients (70 %). In conclusion, most patients with NASH who develop HCC are men. Those patients have high rates of obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. Male patients appear to develop HCC with a less advanced stage of liver fibrosis than female patients. Further prospective studies with longer follow-up times and larger cohorts are needed to determine the causal association of NASH with HCC and to identify risk factors for the development of HCC in NASH patients. |