Published online Dec 15, 2001. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v7.i6.880
Revised: June 19, 2001
Accepted: June 29, 2001
Published online: December 15, 2001
AIM: Clinical application and potential complication of percutaneous transsplenic varices embolization (PTSVE) of esophageal or gastrio-fundal varices in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) complicated with portal vein cancerous thrombosis (PVCT).
METHODS: 18 patients with HCC complicated with PVCT and esophageal or gastrio-fundal varices who underwent PTSVE were collected. The rate of success, complication, mortality of the procedure and postoperative complication were recorded and analyzed.
RESULTS: PTSVE were successfully performed in 16 of 18 cases, and the rate of success was 89%. After therapy erythrocyte counts decreased in all of the natunts. 5 of patients needed blood transfusion, 2 patients requiredsurgical intervention because of and 11 patients with ascites were alleviated by diuresis. Among these 18 patients, the procedure-related mortality was 11% (2/18), one died of acute hepatic failure on the forth day after procedure, another died of acute renal failure on the fifth day. The patients were follow up for 1~12 mo except one. 13 of them died of their tumors but none of them experienced variceal bleeding.
CONCLUSION: PTSVE is a relatively safe and effective method to treat esophageal or gastrio-fundal varices in HCC patients with PVCT when percutaneous transhepatic varices embolization (PTHVE) of varices is impossible.