title: Pancreatitis after percutaneous ethanol injection into HCC: a minireview of the literature.
abstract: Deaths after percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) into hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) may occur within a few hours to a few days following the procedure because of hemoperitoneum and haemorrhage from oesophageal varices or hepatic insufficiency. Pancreatitis has been recently reported as a rare lethal complication of intra-arterial PEI, another modality for treating HCCs. In this minireview, we analyze the literature concerning the development of acute pancreatitis after PEI. Pathogenesis of pancreatitis from opioids and ethanol is also addressed. Treatment with opioids to reduce the patient's abdominal pain after PEI in combination with the PEI itself may lead to direct toxic effects, thus favouring the development of pancreatitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, Campus Bio-Medico University, Rome, Italy. enricozardi@hotmail.it
authors.forename: Enrico M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Zardi
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Di Matteo
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Santini
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Uwechie
authors.forename: Pierfilippo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Crucitti
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carassiti
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Picardi
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Perrella
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caricato
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tonini
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Coppola
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Afeltra
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007261:Infusions, Intra-Arterial; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol