5 research outputs found
Gastroduodenal injury after radioembolization of hepatic tumors
Radioembolization is a new tool for the treatment of hepatic tumors
that consists in the injection of biocompatible microspheres carrying
radioisotopes into the hepatic artery or its branches. METHODS: We have performed
radioembolization in 78 patients with hepatic tumors using resin-based
microspheres loaded with yttrium-90. All patients were previously evaluated to
minimize the risk of hazardous irradiation to nontarget organs and to obtain the
data needed for dose calculation. RESULTS: We report a complication found in
three cases (3.8%) that consists of abdominal pain resulting from gastroduodenal
lesions and that had a chronic, insidious course. Microscopically, microspheres
were detected in the specimens obtained from all affected gastric areas. Since
these gastroduodenal lesions do not appear when nonradiating microspheres are
injected in animals, lesions are likely to be due to radiation and not to an
ischemic effect of vascular occlusion by spheres. CONCLUSIONS: We believe that a
pretreatment evaluation that includes a more thorough scrutiny of the hepatic
vascularization in search of small collaterals connecting to the gastroduodenal
tract can help prevent this awkward complicatio