[Treatment of portal vein tumor thrombus of hepatocellular carcinoma with percutaneous laser ablation].
OBJECTIVE
To introduce a newly developed procedure in the control of portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and evaluate the efficacy and indicate of this method.


METHODS
The PVTT of HCC patients were treated by percutaneous transhepatic laser ablation (LA). The blood flow of PVTT embolized portal vein, live function, ascites and clinical presentation was observed.


RESULTS
Twenty-four HCC patients, with a total of 30 PVTT portal vein and its main branch were treated with LA. There were no any blood flow signal in Doppler color Ultrasonography in these PVTT embolized portal vein before treatment. After treatment, blood flow was reappearance in all cases within one week. The continued patency blood flow was observed in 16 portal vein and continued but not patency blood flow in other 12 portal vein within 30 days. The continued patency blood flow was observed in 18 portal vein within 90 days. The improvement of liver function and clinical symptom. The reduction of ascites was observed in varying degrees.


CONCLUSIONS
LA treatment might be a effective and safe procedure in the control of portal vein tumor thrombus of HCC.
Lu
Zheng-hua
ZH
Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200438, China.
Shen
Feng
F
Yuan
Guo-xin
GX
Shi
Le-hua
LH
Zhong
Ming
M
Yang
Jia-he
JH
Guo
Jia
J
Wu
Meng-chao
MC
D000328:Adult; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000473:pathology*; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome