Diagnosis and treatment experiences of purple urine bag syndrome following transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Objective To investigate the diagnosis and treatment of purple urine bag syndrome following transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods Clinical data of 13 patients who developed purple urine bag syndrome out of 117 patients undergoing TACE for HCC in the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between January 2012 and May 2014 were retrospectively studied. Among the 13 patients, 4 were males and 9 were females with the age ranging from 35 to 68 years old and the median of 53 years old. The tumor diameter was ≤5 cm in 8 cases and was > 5 cm in 5 cases. The operative duration of TACE was ≤30 min in 6 cases and was >30 min in 7 cases. The informed consents of all patients were obtained and the local ethical committee approval had been received. The diagnostic criteria was pink to purple urine in the urine bag after TACE and no blood urine detected by urine routine test. Results The incidence of purple urine bag syndrome following TACE was 11.1% (13/117). After purple urine bag syndrome was confirmed, the patients were given the comprehensive therapy of urine acidification, rehydration, regular change of urinary catheter and urine bag, and gastrointestinal function improvement. No anti-infective therapy was given. The average indwelling time of urinary catheter was (12±3) d. Conclusions It is not a rare case for purple urine bag syndrome following TACE for HCC, thus it should be taken seriously. The treatment mainly includes urine acidification, rehydration and gastrointestinal function improvement. Key words: Liver neoplasms; Radiology, interventional; Purple urine bag syndrome