case report of hepatic artery embolization in patient with carcinoid tumor with multiple liver metastases

ABSTRACT

Carcinoid tumors arise from neuroendocrine cells throughout the body. Ninety percent of these tumors derived from the kulchitsky cells within the gastrointestinal tract. Metastasis to the liver from this tumor is resistant to chemotherapy. Hepatic artery embolization recommended a method for treatment of these patients. In this study we report the outcome of treatment with hepatic artery embolization in a patient with involvement >75% of liver parenchyma to metastasis. A 32 year old woman with carcinoid tumor of small intestine was admitted to our hospital. CT scan was performed and the patient had multiple liver metastases. After surgery, chemotherapy was performed for the treatment of liver metastasis but the patient showed no response to chemotherapy. Because of severe pain, the patient underwent hepatic artery embolization with polyvinyl alcohol. After two months due to recurrence of RUQ pain, 40cc of ethanol [96%] was injected into liver artery and the pain was relieved. Interventional radiology and hepatic artery embolization with poly vinyl alcohol are not certain methods for treating hypervascular metastatic liver tumor but it is considered as a suitable method for decreasing pain