UICC World Cancer Congress 2006

Objective:The objective of this study was to determine the clinical, radiologic and ultrasonographic pattern of HCC and metastatic patterns among patients with HCC in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Methods:53 untreated patients with HCC were evaluated for evidence of metastasis using abdominal ultrasonography (AUS) and chest X-ray (CXR), over a 6-month period. A general clinical examination was carried out with a careful note of clinically visible sites of metastasis. Demographic data were collected and documented. A statistical analysis was carried out with the SPSS computer software.

Results:Clinical features were mainly hard nodular hepatomegaly. One patient had clinical paraparesis with no outward evidence of metastasis. Spinal x-ray was not done.

CXR revealed secondary metastatic deposits in the lungs in 11(20.8%), with multifocal deposits and bilateral involvement in 10(18.8%). and unilateral single deposit in 1. Two (3.8%) patients had perihilar lymphadenopathy and consolidation respectively; while 18 (34%) patients had elevated right hemidiaphragm and 4(7.5%) had pleural effusion. One had right sided basal pneumonitis, multiple cavitatory lesions in the lung fields and soft tissue wasting. No abnormality was seen in 17(32.1%) cases

AUS showed probe tenderness in 22 (41.5%), hepatomegaly in 49 (92.5%) with 33 (62.3%) of these having nodularities of varying sizes. The spleen was enlarged in 10 (18.9%) cases with 4 (7.5%) showing irregular outline. There were 8 (15.1%) cases with paraortic lymphadenopathy. Portal hepatis lymphadenopathy was demonstrated in 2 (3.8%) cases