Echo-guided percutaneous ethanol injection in small hepatocellular carcinoma: personal experience.
We performed echo-guided percutaneous ethanol injection of the lesion in 26 cirrhotic patients with 33 hepatocellular carcinomas measuring 3 cm in diameter or less. Post-treatment lesions had disappeared in 4 patients, while in the remaining 22 patients the echo pattern of the lesion had changed and biopsies were negative. Fifteen patients (follow-up 11-30 months) remain disease-free, while recurrence occurred between 3 and 36 months in 7 cases. Percutaneous ethanol injection was successfully repeated in 4 cases; 5 patients died, 1 of HCC, 2 of esophageal variceal bleeding, and 2 of liver failure; 3 of the last four patients had Child's C disease. Percutaneous ethanol injection is a valuable treatment for hepatocellular carcinomas measuring not more than 3 cm. It has yet to be established how far this treatment influences the survival rates of patients and the natural course of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Solmi
L
L
Service of Gastroenterology, Sant'Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Bologna, Italy.
Muratori
R
R
Bertoni
F
F
Gandolfi
L
L
D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D015552:Injections, Intralesional / Q000379:methods*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014463:Ultrasonography
D000431:Ethanol