To evaluate MRI findings of non-recurrent hepatocellular carcinomas with lipiodol uptake (LHCCs) treated with transarterial chemoembolization.
28 LHCCs were divided into two groups according to amount of lipiodol uptake and tumor size, retrospectively. According to amount of lipiodol uptake, HCCs were classified into group A with dense lipiodol uptake (more than 90%) and group B with partial lipiodol uptake (between 50% and 90%). For HCC size analysis, group I was defined by a longest diameter of less than 2 cm, and group II was defined by a longest diameter of greater than or equal to 2 cm.
In group A (n=16), eight LHCCs showed high signal intensity (SI) on T2-weighted images (T2WI), ten LHCCs showed low SI on T1-weighted imaged (T1WI), six LHCCs showed decreased SI at higher b value of diffusion-weighted images (DWI). In group B (n=12), six LHCCs revealed high SI on T2WI, six LHCCs revealed low SI on T1WI, ten LHCCs decreased SI at higher b value of DWI. As compared with tumor size and SI, six of 12 LHCCs in group I and eight of 16 LHCCs in group II showed high SI on T2WI. Six LHCCs in group I and ten LHCCs in group II showed low SI on T1WI. All LHCCs were not enhanced.
Signal intensities of LHCCs were variable, but more than half of LHCCs showed high SI on T2WI, low SI on T1WI, decreased SI at higher
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Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is one of common causes of cancer-related death in Korea where the majority of HCC patients were Hepaitc B virus(HBV)carriers and have cirrhosis. Transarterial chemoembolization(TACE)is commonly applied to the treatment of multinodular HCC in Korea and careful selection of candidate is important for the risk of various side effects. Besides common side effects as fever, nausea, abdominal pain and elevation of liver enzyme, TACE may predispose to hepatic failure, ischemic cholecystitis, pulmonary embolism, cerebral embolism and pneumonitis. In previous studies, some cases of pulmonary and cerebral embolism cases were reported but lipiodol pneumonitis after TACE was rarely reported. A 65-year-old woman with a multinodular HCC associated with HBV infection, was treated with TACE. Seven days after the procedure, nonspecific respiratory symptoms such as dyspnea and dry cough developed. Chest X-ray and chest computed tomography showed diffuse ground glass opacities in whole lung fields, suggestive of lipiodol pneumonitis. After several days of supportive care with steroid administration, radiologic abnormalities and subjective symptoms were much improved, considered that the disease was compatible with lipiodol pneumonitis.
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