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World J Transplant. Jun 18, 2026; 16(2): 115879
Published online Jun 18, 2026. doi: 10.5500/wjt.v16.i2.115879
Published online Jun 18, 2026. doi: 10.5500/wjt.v16.i2.115879
Multifaceted role of histopathology in liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma: A narrative review towards precision prognosis
Marcelo Fabián Amante, María L Pestalardo, Department of División Patología, Hospital General de Agudos Cosme Argerich, Buenos Aires C1155AHA, Ciudad Autónoma de, Argentina
María Fernanda Vargas Wille, Department of Pathology, Hospital Enrique Baltodano Briceño, Liberia 50101, Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Author contributions: Amante MF and Pestalardo ML conceptualized and designed the study, created the artwork, supervised the study, and made critical revisions; Vargas Wille MF conducted the literature review, performed the analyses and interpretation of the data, and drafted the original manuscript. All authors prepared the draft manuscript and approved the submitted version.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: Marcelo Fabián Amante, MD, División Patología, Hospital General de Agudos Cosme Argerich, Pi y Margall 480, Buenos Aires C1155AHA, Ciudad Autónoma de, Argentina. marcelofabianamante@gmail.com
Received: October 28, 2025
Revised: November 19, 2025
Accepted: February 3, 2026
Published online: June 18, 2026
Processing time: 213 Days and 20.8 Hours
Revised: November 19, 2025
Accepted: February 3, 2026
Published online: June 18, 2026
Processing time: 213 Days and 20.8 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Histopathological assessment remains indispensable for liver transplantation in hepatocellular carcinoma, providing crucial information about tumor biology that imaging alone cannot capture. This editorial emphasizes how vascular invasion, tumor differentiation, and histologic subtyping critically refine prognostic stratification and guide individualized post-transplant management. By integrating standardized sampling with digital pathology and molecular profiling, pathology evolves from a diagnostic discipline into a predictive and decision-shaping science, optimizing organ allocation for hepatocellular carcinoma transplantation and improving long-term outcomes for patients.