Portal vein embolization induces compensatory hypertrophy of remnant liver.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of different portal vein branch embolization agents in inducing compensatory hypertrophy of the remnant liver and to offer a theoretic basis for clinical portal vein branch embolization.


METHODS
Forty-one adult dogs were included in the experiment and divided into four groups. Five dogs served as a control group, 12 as a gelfoam group, 12 as a coil-gelfoam group and 12 as an absolute ethanol group. Left portal vein embolization was performed in each group. The results from the embolization in each group using different embolic agents were compared. The safety of portal vein embolization (PVE) was evaluated by liver function test, computed tomography (CT) and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) of liver and portal veins. Statistical test of variance was performed to analyze the results.


RESULTS
Gelfoam used for PVE was inefficient in recanalization of portal vein branch 4 wk after the procedure. The liver volume in groups of coil-gelfoam and absolute ethanol increased 25.1% and 33.18%, respectively. There was no evidence of recanalization of embolized portal vein, hepatic dysfunction, and portal hypertension in coil-gelfoam group and absolute ethanol group.


CONCLUSIONS
Portal vein branch embolization using absolute ethanol and coil-gelfoam could induce atrophy of the embolized lobes and compensatory hypertrophy of the remnant liver. Gelfoam is an inefficient agent.
Department of Interventional Radiology, The Affiliated Union Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350001, Fujian Province, China.
Jing-Yao
JY
Huang
Wei-Zhu
WZ
Yang
Jian-Jun
JJ
Li
Na
N
Jiang
Qu-Bin
QB
Zheng
D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic / Q000379:methods*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005781:Gelatin Sponge, Absorbable; D006490:Hemostatics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy; D008099:Liver / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D008115:Liver Regeneration; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000601:surgery*; D011897:Random Allocation; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D006490:Hemostatics; D000431:Ethanol