Hepatocellular Carcinoma - Schirrous Pattern

Higher magnification of scirrhous pattern HCC: bands of dense fibrosis separate cords and nests of large, pleomorphic neoplastic hepatocytes. The tumor cells tend to retain their polygonal shape, round vesicular nuclei, and prominent nucleoli. The cytoplasm is slightly more basophilic compared to non-neoplastic hepatocytes. Differentiation from fibrolamellar HCC is based on the absence of abundant granular eosinophilic cytoplasm (as seen in fibrolamellar HCC) and the appropriate clinical setting for each tumor.