scholarly journals Transjugular Retrograde Obliteration prior to Liver Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Associated with Hyperammonemia due to Spontaneous Portosystemic Shunt

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Fumio Chikamori ◽  
Nobutoshi Kuniyoshi

A 67-year-old woman had hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) measuring 3.7 cm at S8 of the liver with hyperammonemia due to a spontaneous giant mesocaval shunt. Admission laboratory data revealed albumin, 2.9 g/dL; total bilirubin, 1.3 mg/dL; plasma ammonia level (NH3), 152 g/dL; total bile acid (TBA) 108.5 μmoL/L; indocyanine green retention rate at 15 min (ICG15), 63%. Superior mesenteric arterial portography revealed a hepatofugal giant mesocaval shunt, and the portal vein was not visualized. Before surgery, transjugular retrograde obliteration (TJO) for the mesocaval shunt was attempted to normalize the portal blood flow. Via the right internal jugular vein, a 6 F occlusive balloon catheter was inserted superselectively into the mesocaval shunt. The mesocaval shunt was successfully embolized using absolute ethanol and a 50% glucose solution. Eleven days after TJO, NH3, TBA, and ICG15 decreased to 56, 44, and 33, respectively. Superior mesenteric arterial portography after TJO revealed a hepatopetal portal flow. Partial hepatectomy of S8 was performed 25 days after TJO. The subsequent clinical course showed no complications, and the woman was discharged on postoperative day 14. We conclude that the combined therapy of surgery and TJO is an effective means of treating HCC with hyperammonemia due to a spontaneous portosystemic shunt.

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Takashi Maeda ◽  
Daisuke Imai ◽  
Huanlin Wang ◽  
Kyohei Yugawa ◽  
Nao Kinjo ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) during pregnancy is extremely rare. Treatment strategies for cancers detected during pregnancy have been controversial. We herein report a case of recurrent HCC detected at 20 weeks of pregnancy, which subsequently prompted hepatic resection after abortion. Case presentation A 36-year-old woman underwent laparoscopic partial hepatectomy for HCC (20 mm in diameter) in segment 5 of the liver during follow-up after being determined as a hepatitis B virus carrier two and a half years ago. Post-surgery follow-up abdominal ultrasonography revealed a 36-mm tumor in segment 7 of the liver. Abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed a well-enhanced tumor with a 40-mm diameter in segment 7 adjacent to the inferior vena cava and right hepatic vein, suggesting HCC recurrence. Laboratory data revealed total bilirubin (0.4 mg/dL), aspartate aminotransferase (28 IU/L), alanine aminotransferase (30 IU/L), glutamyltransferase (16 IU/L), prothrombin time (115.3%), and indocyanine green retention rate at 15 min (7.0%). α-Fetoprotein (AFP) (12,371.5 ng/mL; normal range < 10 ng/mL) and PIVKA-II (208 mAU/mL; normal range < 40 mAU/mL) were both significantly elevated. After discussions with a cancer board consisting of experts from the departments of gastroenterology, obstetrics and gynecology, and surgery, as well as obtaining appropriate informed consent from the patient and her family, we decided to perform a hepatic resection after abortion. Subsequently, abortion surgery was performed at 21 weeks and 2 days of pregnancy. After 6 days, subsegmentectomy of liver segment 7 was performed under general and epidural anesthesia, with a pathological diagnosis which was moderately differentiated HCC being established. Given the good postoperative course, without particular complications, the patient was subsequently discharged 10 days after the operation. Approximately 2 years after the surgery, the patient remains alive without recurrence, while both AFP and PIVKA-II were within normal limits. Conclusions Treatment strategies for HCC detected during pregnancy remain controversial. As such, decisions should be made based on HCC growth and fetal maturity after thorough multidisciplinary team discussions and obtaining appropriate informed consent from the patient and her family.


2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiannan Yao ◽  
Li Zuo ◽  
Guangyu An ◽  
Zhendong Yue ◽  
Hongwei Zhao ◽  
...  

Aims: This study aimed at assessing the risk factors for hepatic encephalopathy (HE) after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and portal hypertension. Method: Consecutive patients (n=279) with primary HCC who underwent TIPS between January 1997 and March 2012 at a single institution were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were followed up for 2 years. Pre-TIPS, peri-TIPS and post-TIPS clinical variables were reviewed using univariate and multivariate analyses to identify risk factors for HE after TIPS. Results: The overall incidence of HE was 41% (114/279). Multivariate analysis showed an increased odds for HE in patients with: >3 treatments with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and/or trans-arterial embolization (TAE) (odds ratio [OR], 4.078; 95% confidence interval [95%CI], 1.748-9.515); hepatopetal portal flow (OR, 2.362; 95%CI, 1.032-5.404); high portosystemic pressure gradient (OR, 1.198; 95%CI, 1.073-1.336) and high pre-TIPS MELD score (OR, 1.693; 95%CI, 1.390-2.062). Odds for HE were increased 1.693 fold for each 1-point increase in the MELD score, and 1.198 fold for each 1-mmHg decrease in the post-TIPS portosystemic pressure gradient. Conclusion: The identification of clinical variables associated with increased odds of HE may be useful for the selection of appropriate candidates for TIPS. Results suggest that an inappropriate decrease in the portosystemic pressure gradient might be associated with HE after TIPS. In addition, >3 treatments with TACE/TAE, hepatopetal portal flow, and high MELD score were also associated with increased odds of HE after TIPS. Key words:  –  –  – .


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 3375
Author(s):  
Annabelle Vogt ◽  
Farsaneh Sadeghlar ◽  
Tiyasha H. Ayub ◽  
Carlo Schneider ◽  
Christian Möhring ◽  
...  

Dendritic cells (DC) as professional antigen presenting cells are able to prime T-cells against the tumor-associated antigen α-fetoprotein (AFP) for immunotherapy of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, a strong immunosuppressive tumor environment limits their efficacy in patients. The co-stimulation with CD40Ligand (CD40L) is critical in the maturation of DC and T-cell priming. In this study, the impact of intratumoral (i.t.) CD40L-expressing DC to improve vaccination with murine (m)AFP-transduced DC (Ad-mAFP-DC) was analyzed in subcutaneous (s.c.) and orthotopic murine HCC. Murine DC were adenovirally transduced with Ad-mAFP or Ad-CD40L. Hepa129-mAFP-cells were injected into the right flank or the liver of C3H-mice to induce subcutaneous (s.c.) and orthotopic HCC. For treatments, 106 Ad-mAFP-transduced DC were inoculated s.c. followed by 106 CD40L-expressing DC injected intratumorally (i.t.). S.c. inoculation with Ad-mAFP-transduced DC, as vaccine, induced a delay of tumor-growth of AFP-positive HCC compared to controls. When s.c.-inoculation of Ad-mAFP-DC was combined with i.t.-application of Ad-CD40L-DC synergistic antitumoral effects were observed and complete remissions and long-term survival in 62% of tumor-bearing animals were achieved. Analysis of the tumor environment at different time points revealed that s.c.-vaccination with Ad-mAFP-DC seems to stimulate tumor-specific effector cells, allowing an earlier recruitment of effector T-cells and a Th1 shift within the tumors. After i.t. co-stimulation with Ad-CD40L-DC, production of Th1-cytokines was strongly increased and accompanied by a robust tumor infiltration of mature DC, activated CD4+-, CD8+-T-cells as well as reduction of regulatory T-cells. Moreover, Ad-CD40L-DC induced tumor cell apoptosis. Intratumoral co-stimulation with CD40L-expressing DC significantly improves vaccination with Ad-mAFP-DC in pre-established HCC in vivo. Combined therapy caused an early and strong Th1-shift in the tumor environment as well as higher tumor apoptosis, leading to synergistic tumor regression of HCC. Thus, CD40L co-stimulation represents a promising tool for improving DC-based immunotherapy of HCC.


2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad W. Saif ◽  
Iris Isufi ◽  
Jennifer Peccerillo ◽  
Kostas N. Syrigos

Sorafenib is an oral angiogenetic multikinase inhibitor approved in the treatment of renal and hepatocellular carcinoma. Bleeding and venous thrombotic events have been described with angiogenetic agents but cerebrovascular accidents are rarely reported. We report two cases of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who developed a cerebrovascular accident while on sorafenib. Neither patient had any risk factors for the cerebrovascular events apart from gender and age in the second patient. Laboratory data were noncontributory. The head CT scan did not reveal acute abnormalities. No hemodynamically significant stenosis was visible in the carotid ultrasound, and the echocardiogram showed normal size of the heart chambers and normal systolic function of the left ventricle. Sorafenib was discontinued in both cases. Physicians should monitor patients receiving sorafenib for neurologic symptoms, and in the absence of other etiology, prompt discontinuation of this drug should be considered.


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