Although combination therapy with prednisolone plus N-acetylcysteine increased 1-month survival among patients with severe acute alcoholic hepatitis, 6-month survival, the primary outcome, was not improved. (Funded by Programme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique; AAH-NAC ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00863785 .).
We report two cases of occult hepatocellular carcinoma associated with alcoholic cirrhosis, in which the diagnosis of malignancy was respectively established by ultrasound-guided biopsy of umbilical vein and portal vein branch thrombus. When measurement of serum alpha-foetoprotein, and liver ultrasonography and/or computed tomography failed to clearly demonstrate hepatocellular carcinoma, the presence of a thrombosis of the portal vein system is highly suggestive of malignancy, which may be easily confirmed by venous biopsy.
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