Treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma associated with cirrhosis by ultrasonographic guided percutaneous ethanol injection

Abstract EN

This study aimed to evaluate the short term response to ultrasonographic guided percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in cirrhotic patients.

This study included 20 cirrhotic patients with HCC.

We excluded cases with severe liver impairment (Child's class Q, severe bleeding tendency, impaired prothrombin concentration, thrombocytopenia, big tumors (more than 5 cm) or more than one tumor.

Patients were treated with percutaneous injection of ethanol 95% under guidance with ultrasound.

The total amount of injected ethanol per session was between 5-20 ml.

One to nine administrations were performed for each lesion according to its size.

No serious complications occurred during or after treatment Patients were followed up for 9-12 months.

All lesions had posttreatment sonographic structural changes of fibronecrotic echopattern.

All patients were followed up by aspiration cytology at the end of treatment and at 3 and 6 months and yielded negative results for malignancy in all cases, except one who responded adequately to reinjection, with significant reduction in tumor size.

Alpha feto-protein level dropped significantly.

No biochemical changes or untoward clinical sequelae were detected.

Conclusion: PEI is inexpensive, easy to perform, and potentially valuable in the treatment of selected single small hepatocellular carcinoma.