ABSTRACT
Objective To study blood supply by inferior phrenic artery to hepatic carcinoma and the value of interventional embolization of the artery. Methods 35 cases of primary hepatic carcinomas,with one severe biliary tract hemorrhage,underwent both hepatic and phrenic artery angiography,and chemoembolizational therapy through the hepatic arteries and the phrenic arteries that had blood suply.And those with the biliary tract hemorrhage were managed by means of gelfoam and coil embolization. Results It was found that 21 of the 35 cases had blood supply by inferior phrenic artery to hepatic carcinomas and they were mainly in mass pattern and diffuse infiltration pattern with invasion of hepatic membrane.The regions of blood supply varied from 20%to 70%.The tumors shrank 40%～50% in 14 cases,10%～30% in 18 cases,with no change in 3cases.Biliary tract hemorrhage ceased. Conclusions Among the collateral arteries that supply blood to hepatic carcinoma,inferior phrenic artery peays a main part.It seems that both the hepatic and phrenic artery should be embolized in interventional therapy to hepatic carcinoma in order to get a better therapeutic result.