From large to small: the immunohistochemical panel in the diagnosis of early hepatocellular carcinoma.

We present for the first time a direct comparison between surgical specimens and needle biopsies to confirm the usefulness and reproducibility of the most widely used antibodies for the diagnosis of small liver nodules. Our results support the use of IHC evaluation in biopsies for the diagnosis of small liver lesions, although the IHC panel could also give negative results in the presence of obvious HCC, and the possibility of false positives should always be considered.