Objective:To examine CT and pathologic presentations of the periphery of hepatocelllar carcinoma (HCC) by using in vivo liver specimens from orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) and to see whether there is any correlation between them. Materials and Methods :Forty-two patients with HCC confirmed by pathology and liver transplantation were ncluded. Plain CT scan covering the whole liver was done, followed by arterial and portal venous phase scanning. The delay time was 25 s and 60 s after injection of contrast medium. Fresh liver samples were evaluated, sliced and stained with HE and the standard immunoperoxidase method using facter Ⅷ related antigen (F8RA) monoclonal antibody to study CT presentation of the periphery of tumor and compare them with pathologic findings. Results: (1) Tumors with clear boundaries on CT scan reflected the presence of tumor capsules in pathologic sections. Most tumors with unclear boundaries had no capsules and grew in an invasive pattern; (2) Tumors with unclear boundaries or high density on dynamic enhancement usually had abundant newborn vessels in the periphery and were poorly differentiated, while those with low density had few newborn vessels and were well differentiated; (3) When microvessel density (MVD) was＞30, the occurrence of intrahepatic daughter foci was higher. Conclusion: (1) CT morphologic classification of the HCC periphery can well reflect the intactness of tumor capsules, which is helpful for preoperative assessment of tumor infiltration and cancer cell grading; (2) CT enhancement presentation of the HCC periphery in arterial and portal phases may reflect pathologic changes and help predict the prognosis at large.