Multicentre prospective study of drug-eluting bead chemoembolisation safety using tightly calibrated small microspheres in non-resectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Purpose: To assess the safety and tolerability of transarterial drug-eluting bead chemoembolisation (DEB-TACE) using tightly calibrated 100-μm microspheres in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Method: This multicentre prospective study included 131 patients with a 2-year follow-up. All patients had Child-Pugh scores ≤ B7, a good performance status, and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage A or B.

[Use of gastrostomies in patients over 75 years old].

Objective: To describe the indications of insertion of a percutaneous gastrostomy (PG) in older patients in a university hospital, as well as patient characteristics, short and long term complications, and mortality.

Methods: Retrospective descriptive study of all patients over 75 years who had a PG inserted during a three year period by the Interventional Radiology Department. The indication of the procedure was reviewed, and the incidence of complications and mortality during a 36 months follow-up period were assessed through electronic medical records.

[Transparieto-hepatic dilation of benign biliary stenosis: 5 years experience].

Objective: To assess the results of percutaneous transparieto-hepatic dilation of benign biliary stenosis achieved over a period of 5 years.

Design: A retrospective study to assess the technique, complications and the clinical, analytical and radiology results.

Patients: Data was gathered on 13 patients diagnosed in our Hospital between the years 2002 and 2006 with benign biliary stenosis and who had been treated using percutaneous dilation.