Primary hepatic angiosarcoma: imaging findings and palliative treatment with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization or embolization.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the image findings and results of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) or transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) for treating primary hepatic angiosarcoma.


METHODS
A retrospective review of the electronic medical database from 2002 to 2007, revealed six patients with primary hepatic angiosarcoma confirmed by percutaneous liver biopsy. The computed tomography (CT) and angiography imaging findings, the TACE or TAE results, and the post-procedure course were evaluated in all patients.


RESULTS
On CT and angiography, each tumour appeared as a solitary mass or as multiple nodules or masses with heterogeneously early and progressive enhancement. One of the two patients with tumour response to TACE died 8 months after initial presentation, and the remaining patient was still alive at the last follow-up 12 months after initial presentation. However, two patients with no response to TACE and two patients who underwent emergent TAE for tumour rupture died 1 week to 5 months (mean 2.1 months) after initial presentation.


CONCLUSIONS
Primary hepatic angiosarcoma appears as a solitary or multiple, hypervascular lesions with heterogeneously early and progressive enhancement on CT and angiography. Although TAE may be the primary procedure for achieving emergent bleeding control caused by the rupture of hepatic angiosarcomas, TACE may be effective for treating patients with a dominant hepatic angiosarcoma with or without intrahepatic metastases.
Park
Y S
YS
Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul 138-736, Republic of Korea.
Kim
J H
JH
Kim
K W
KW
Lee
I S
IS
Yoon
H-K
HK
Ko
G-Y
GY
Sung
K-B
KB
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000792:Angiography / Q000379:methods; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016461:Chemoembolization, Therapeutic / Q000379:methods; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic / Q000379:methods; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006394:Hemangiosarcoma / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods; D015641:Radiography, Interventional; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D002945:Cisplatin