Prognostic value of lymphatic vessel density in the capsule of early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma: implications for postoperative recurrence risk

Objective Lymphatic vessels are present in the capsule of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) at an early stage, but their value in the prognosis remains unclear. The study aimed to evaluate the prognostic impact of lymphatic vessels in the tumor capsule on patients with HCC at Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stages 0-A. This is one of the first studies to investigate the tumor capsule specifically. Methods This retrospective study included HCC patients at BCLC stages 0-A, who underwent radical liver resection between January 2017 and December 2020. Lymphatic vessel density (LVD) in the tumor capsule was determined by immunohistochemistry using anti-D2-40. Patients were stratified into the high and low LVD…