A Case Report of Hepatocellular Carcinoma 5 Years After HBsAg Loss in Chronic Hepatitis Delta: How Long Surveillance is Required?

BACKGROUND

Hepatitis delta virus infection occurs as acute co-infection or as superinfection in patients with preexisting chronic hepatitis B. Chronic hepatitis delta leads to more severe disease than chronic hepatitis B, with more rapid progression of fibrosis and increased risk of hepatocelullar carcinoma.

CASE REPORT: We report a case of hepatocelullar carcinoma 5 years after spontaneous clearance of Hepatitis B surface antigen in a patient with previous chronic hepatitis delta. He had been diagnosed with acute hepatitis delta superinfection 30 years ago which evolved to chronic delta infection and subsequently development of liver cirrhosis. Despite no specific antiviral treatment, he lost HBsAg persistently with later regression of cirrhosis.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with cirrhosis due to chronic hepatitis delta who cleared HBsAg with improvement of liver fibrosis by non invasive techniques, it remains unknown how long hepatocelullar carcinoma surveillance has to be maintained.