Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is very popular cancer worldwide. It is sometime difficult to diagnosis patients with HCC at early stages. Aims: 1/ to assess clinical characteristics and serum AFP level of patients with HCC less than 3cm
2,/ to assess ultrasonographic and 3-phase CT- scan imaging of HCC S 3cm. Subjects and methods: a retrospective and prospective study involved 62 patients who had been already confirmed HCC by cytology or pathology with tumor size less than 3cm treated at 108 hospital from 20052010. Results. 72,6 percent of the cases were asymtomatic
only 48,8 percent had mild or moderate serum AFP elevated. Most of the cases were hypoechoic on ultrasound (60,7 percent). Almost tumors were hypointensive on CT-scan imaging and there were only 38,3 percent had typically enhancement after contrast injection. There were 3,2 percent of cases had portal vein thrombus. Conclusions: Most of small HCC patients are asymtomatic with normal or mild elevated AFP level and atypical imaging of HCC on 3 phase contrast enhanced CT-scan.