The cytoplasm is pale pink and granular. The portal tract is not included in this field so it is not possible to see the interface hepatotos. On examination the liver was palpable. An ultrasound scan of the liver showed a large, poorly defined mass. A liver biopsy was performed and showed a tumour composed of large eosinophilic cells arranged in trabeculae.
Some cells contain bile.
The photomicrograph below shows hepatocellular carcinoma. The cells look similar to normal hepatocytes but they show nuclear pleomorphism and they lack the architectural organisation of normal liver. The round brown bodies are bile pigment which is produced by the tumour cells. The main risk factors for development of HCC are HBV infection, aflatoxin exposure and cirrhosis.