Complications associated with pelvic intraarterial therapy in patients with recurrent and advanced gynecologic cancer / 中华放射学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To analyze the complications associated with pelvic intraarterial therapy in patients with recurrent and advanced gynecologic cancer and to discuss the causes, the prevention and management measures of the complications in details. Methods One hundred and thirty procedures of pelvic intraarterial therapy were performed in 78 patients with pathologically confirmed recurrent and advanced gynecologic cancer, with one to six procedures per case. The Seldinger technique was used in all patients. The catheter was introduced via femoral artery on one side (mostly on the right side), and the combined antineoplastic agents were infused into contralateral internal iliac artery and(or) ipsilateral branches supplying the involved area. Common iliac arteries and inferior mesenteric arteries were also used in some cases. Results Six patients (7.69%) developed severe skin and subcutaneous necrosis (erosion or ulceration) on the buttock and vulvae. Five of them recovered from the injuries after heteropathy in less than 2 months. One patient received surgical debridement 4 months after the pelvic chemotherapy, whose wound healed one month later. Conclusion The causes of the severe complications of pelvic intraarterial therapy were as follows the infusing chemotherapeutic agent was too large in dosage and too dense in concentration; the infusing time was too short; the internal iliac artery gave off a lot of abnormal skin branches; the catheter was placed too distal in small branches; the embolic pieces was too small; and the development of collateral arteries was poor especially in pretreated patients with pelvic surgery and(or) radiotherapy, etc. Heteropathy should be given in no time when the severe complications were encountered, and surgical debridement and(or) skin grafting was a need in some cases. So the interventional performers should be familiar with pelvic arteriograms to select the proper location of catheter, administer the suitable dosage of therapeutic agents dilutedly and slowly, and use large emboli, such as larger Gelfoam particles or strips.