Zhang FL, Xu J, Jiang YH, Zhu YD, Wu QN, Shi Y, Zhu FY, Chen JW, Wu LX. Liver abscess and tracheal fistula induced by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma: A case report. World J Clin Cases 2024; 12(16): 2911-2916 [PMID: 38899298 DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v12.i16.2911]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Yuan-Dong Zhu, Doctor, Director, Professor, Department of Gastroenterology, Hangzhou Xixi Hospital, No. 2 Henbu Street, Xihu Direct, Hangzhou 310023, Zhejiang Province, China. zhuyuandong2022@163.com
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
Case Report
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Fu-Long Zhang, Yu-Hong Jiang, Yuan-Dong Zhu, Qian-Neng Wu, Yan Shi, Fang-Yuan Zhu, Jing-Wen Chen, Liang-Xiao Wu, Department of Gastroenterology, Hangzhou Xixi Hospital, Hangzhou 310023, Zhejiang Province, China
Jing Xu, Department of Hepatopathy, Hangzhou Xixi Hospital, Hangzhou 310023, Zhejiang Province, China
Author contributions: Zhang FL and Zhu YD contributed equally to this work; Zhang FL and Zhu YD designed the research study; Xu J, Jiang YH, Wu QN, Shi Y, Zhu FY, Chen JW, and Wu LX performed the research; Xu J contributed new reagents and analytic tools; Zhang FL and Xu J analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Informed consent statement: Informed written consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case report.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no competing interests to disclose.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Yuan-Dong Zhu, Doctor, Director, Professor, Department of Gastroenterology, Hangzhou Xixi Hospital, No. 2 Henbu Street, Xihu Direct, Hangzhou 310023, Zhejiang Province, China. zhuyuandong2022@163.com
Received: February 20, 2024 Revised: March 2, 2024 Accepted: April 1, 2024 Published online: June 6, 2024 Processing time: 99 Days and 9.4 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is a standard treatment for intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The complications of TACE include biliary tract infection, liver dysfunction, tumor lysis syndrome, biloma, partial intestinal obstruction, cerebral lipiodol embolism, etc. There are few reports about tracheal fistula induced by TACE.
CASE SUMMARY
A 42-year-old man came to our hospital with cough and expectoration for 1 month after TACE for HCC. Laboratory test results showed abnormalities of albumin, hemoglobin, prothrombin time, C-reactive protein, D-dimer, and prothrombin. Culture of both phlegm and liver pus revealed growth of Citrobacter flavescens. Computed tomography showed infection in the inferior lobe of the right lung and a low-density lesion with gas in the right liver. Liver ultrasound showed that there was a big hypoechoic liquid lesion without blood flow signal. Drainage for liver abscess by needle puncture under ultrasonic guidance was performed. After 1 month of drainage and anti-infection therapy, the abscess in the liver and the infection in the lung were reduced obviously, and the symptom of expectoration was relieved.
CONCLUSION
Clinicians should be alert to the possibility of complications of liver abscess and tracheal fistula after TACE for HCC. Drainage for liver abscess by needle puncture under ultrasonic guidance could relieve the liver abscess and tracheal fistula.
Core Tip: Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is commonly used for treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The complications of TACE include liver rupture, liver abscess, etc. We report a patient treated with TACE for HCC who developed liver abscess and tracheal fistula. Drainage for liver abscess by needle puncture under ultrasonic guiding could relieve the liver abscess.
