A Case Report of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in a Non-cirrhotic Patient With Liver Iron Overload Associated With Myelodysplastic Syndrome

Hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) is associated with an increased risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurring predominantly in patients with cirrhosis at the time of diagnosis. However, HCC in non-cirrhotic liver of patients with secondary hemochromatosis is rare. A 67-year-old man with a history of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) was found to have a liver tumor on abdominal computed tomography (CT). On the basis of findings of high levels of serum ferritin and transferrin saturation, and low intensity of liver parenchyma on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we made a diagnosis of hemochromatosis. Liver resection was performed and the specimen showed moderately differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma surrounded by non-cirrhotic liver parenchyma with intracellular iron deposition. Multicentric recurrence of liver tumor occurred 2 years after the surgery despite of deferoxamine therapy with well controlled ferritin level. We reported a case of hepatocellular carcinoma in a non-cirrhotic patient with liver iron overload secondary to MDS. It demonstrated the importance of early detection and initiation of treatment of iron overload in preventing HCC in MDS patients, even among Asian population.