title: [Percutaneous alcoholization of a small hepatocarcinoma].
abstract: Twenty-nine small hepatocellular carcinomas (sHCCs) less than 5 cm in diameter were treated with percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) under US guidance in 24 cirrhotic patients. The nodules were treated on an outpatient basis with 6-18 ethanol injections; the total amount of alcohol delivered to each lesion was 10-103 ml. Twenty-seven of the 29 HCCs (93.1%) showed no evidence viable neoplastic tissue at a dynamic CT scan combined with multiple fine-needle biopsies performed one month after the end of treatment; in 10 cases MR confirmed the presence of necrosis showing marked hypointensity of the lesions in T2-weighted images. None of the 27 necrotized sHCCs recurred locally during a 4-44 months' follow-up period (mean 18 months). Two lesions larger than 4 cm showed incomplete response to treatment. No complications occurred after a total number of 264 alcohol injections. The 1-year survival rate in the 16 patients with a follow-up longer than 12 months was 93.7%. PEI proved to be a safe and effective treatment for sHCCs. In particular, PEI can be viewed as a reliable alternative to surgery in the management of nodules less than 3 cm in diameter, considering the operative hazards and the high risk of new lesions occurring in resected livers.
mesh_terms: D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D000431:Ethanol
vernacular_title: Alcolizzazione percutanea del piccolo epatocarcinoma.