title: Left brachial approach for transcatheter arterial embolization therapy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: We evaluated the efficacy of the lipiodol-transcatheter arterial embolization (L-TAE) technique for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) performed using a left brachial approach. A total of 64 procedures were performed using the brachial route in 53 patients with HCC between 1989 and 1996 using a 4-French catheter and these patients were retrospectively studied. The technical success rate was 95.3%. The overall complication rate was 31.3%: fever of over 38.0 degrees C lasting longer than three days (18.8%), transient neurologic complications (4.7%), and pancreatitis (1.6%). Complications such as lumbago, back pain, and dissection of the celiac artery or its branches, which frequently complicated femoral approaches, were avoided. These data indicate that L-TAE using the left brachial approach may be a safe and effective alternative to the transfemoral approach in patients with HCC.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine, Kagawa Medical School, Miki-Cho, Kita-Gun, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Minami
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishioka
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohkawa
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Koui
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D001916:Brachial Artery; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D002404:Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D016461:Chemoembolization, Therapeutic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015641:Radiography, Interventional; D012189:Retrospective Studies