Postbiopsy arterioportal fistula in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: clinical significance in transarterial chemoembolization.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine, retrospectively, the frequency of postbiopsy arterioportal fistula in hepatocellular carcinoma and its significance in transarterial chemoembolization (TACE).


METHODS
Forty-one patients who underwent percutaneous liver biopsy for diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma were referred for TACE. The control population comprised 161 patients referred during the same period who underwent TACE without biopsy. We determined that an arterioportal fistula was present by opacification of the portal vein during the arterial phase of angiography or by opacification with iodized oil during TACE. We considered hepatocellular carcinoma to be responsive to TACE when the sum of iodized oil retention in the tumor and a low-attenuation area on CT was greater than 50% of tumor size. We compared the frequency of arterioportal fistula and the rate of tumor response to TACE in both groups and also evaluated possible factors associated with postbiopsy arterioportal fistula, such as age, sex, Child-Pugh score, tumor size, average number of needle passes, average distance that the needle traversed normal liver before reaching the mass, and average interval between biopsy and TACE.


RESULTS
Twenty-three (56.1%) of 41 patients in the biopsy group and 19 (11.8%) of 161 patients in the control group had an arterioportal fistula (p < 0.001). The rate of tumor response to TACE was 87.8% (36/41) in the biopsy group and 87.0% (140/161) in the control group (p = 0.5932). Of the possible related factors, only tumor size correlated negatively with the occurrence of arterioportal fistula.


CONCLUSIONS
Percutaneous liver biopsy in hepatocellular carcinoma patients apparently increases the rate of arterioportal fistula but does not seem to affect the rate of tumor response to TACE.
Park
Hong Suk
HS
Center for Liver Cancer, National Cancer Center, 809, Madu 1-dong, Ilsan-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do 411-764, South Korea. hpark@dreamwiz.com
Lee
Sang Hyun
SH
Kim
Young Il
YI
Lee
Jong Seok
JS
Lim
Min Kyung
MK
Park
Joong-Won
JW
Lee
Joo Hyuk
JH
Kim
Chang-Min
CM
D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D001706:Biopsy / Q000009:adverse effects; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D016461:Chemoembolization, Therapeutic / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007459:Iodized Oil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011169:Portal Vein; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016157:Vascular Fistula / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology*
D007459:Iodized Oil