The treatment of obstructive jaundice caused by bile duct strictures after hepatic transcatheter arterial chemoembolization in liver tumor patients

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the treatment of obstructive jaundice caused by bile duct strictures after hepatic transcatheter arterial chemoembolization in hepatic tumor patients. Methods A retrospective review (Jun 1994 - Mar 2010) of databases at two institutions (Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital and Xin Hua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine) identified 15patients with obstructive jaundice caused by liver bile duct stricture after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization. There were 7 cases of primary liver cancer, 5 patients of liver hemangioma, 3 cases of metastatic liver cancer including 2 cases of colonic cancer and one of pancreatic cancer. Obstructive jaundice appeared in a period of 5 months to 16 months after TACE. The median time was 9 months. Results The obstructive jaundice was relieved by surgically constructed hepatobiliary drainage or PTC+stenting treatment in 13 cases and PTCD in 2 cases. All patients of hepatic hemangioma were doing well after treatment. Two cases of primary liver cancer patients with obstructive jaundice after TACE were followed up for 2 years with no recurrence of hepatic carcinoma and bile duct obstruction. The other 8 patients were followed up from 3months to 18 months until to their death from primary disease progress. Conclusions Surgery and or PTCD plus stent can effectively relieve the obstructive jaundice caused by TACE in benign or malignant liver tumors. Key words: Liver neoplasms; Bile duct diseases; Chemoembolizafion, therapeutic; Jaundice, obstructive