A clinico-pathological study on bone metastases in the autopsied cases with hepatocellular carcinoma

In the present paper 38 autopsied cases with hepatocellular carcinoma were studied, in which bone metastases were verified in 6 cases at autopsy. From the symptomatic points of view, all these patients with bone metastases complained initially of bone destruction such as pain in the extremities and/or difficulty in walking. However, from the results of laboratory examination any of data, blood examination and the levels of serum alkaline phosphatase and calcium did not suggest the evidence of bone metastases. Microscopical examination of liver showed that 86.8% of heapocellulart carcinomas were associated with cirrhosis and 69.7% of these cirrhosis were postnecrotic type, and that in almost cases histological pattern of hepatocellular carcinoma was classified into Edmondson grade II. However, there was no particular histological pattern which seemed to be dominant in the cases with bone metastases of hepatocellular carcinoma.