Open AccessPulmonary embolism after arterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma: An autopsy case report
Author(s) -
Keiichi Hatamaru,
Shunjiro Azuma,
Takuji Akamatsu,
Takeshi Seta,
Shunji Urai,
Yoshito Uenoyama,
Yoshihisa Yamashita,
Kazuo Ôno
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
world journal of gastroenterology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.427
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 2219-2840
pISSN - 1007-9327
DOI - 10.3748/wjg.v21.i4.1344
Subject(s) - lipiodol , medicine , pulmonary embolism , ards , autopsy , transcatheter arterial chemoembolization , hepatocellular carcinoma , radiology , lung , embolism
We report an extremely rare case of pulmonary lipiodol embolism with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A 77-year-old man who was diagnosed with a huge HCC was admitted for TACE. Immediately after the procedure, this patient experienced severe dyspnea. We suspected that his symptoms were associated with a pulmonary lipiodol embolism after TACE, and we began intensive treatment. However, his condition did not improve, and he died on the following day. A subsequent autopsy revealed that the cause of death was ARDS due to pulmonary lipiodol embolism. No cases have been previously reported for which an autopsy was performed to explain the most probable mechanism of pulmonary lipiodol embolism; thus, ours is the first report for such a rare case.