Combined TACE and PEI for palliative treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aim: To assess whether the effectiveness of a combination of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) in the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is superior to TACE alone a randomized controlled trial was performed.

Methods: The effect of combination therapy on long-term survival rates and duration of hospitalization was evaluated in 52 previously untreated HCCs, randomly allocated to TACE-PEI (27 pts) or TACE alone (25 pts).

Results: The cumulative survival rate of the TACE group was 75.

Small hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhosis: randomized comparison of radio-frequency thermal ablation versus percutaneous ethanol injection.

Purpose: To compare the effectiveness of radio-frequency (RF) thermal ablation with that of percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) for the treatment of small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with cirrhosis.

Materials And Methods: A series of 102 patients with hepatic cirrhosis and either single HCC 5 cm in diameter or smaller or as many as three HCCs each 3 cm or smaller (overall number of lesions, 142) randomly received either RF ablation (n = 52) or PEI (n = 50) as the sole first-line anticancer treatment. Mean follow-up was 22.

Assessment of pulmonary perfusion with ultrafast projection magnetic resonance angiography in comparison with lung perfusion scintigraphy in patients with malignant stenosis.

Rationale And Objective: The aim of this study was to demonstrate and measure perfusion deficits caused by central bronchogenic carcinoma and to compare magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) perfusion data with data of perfusion scintigraphy. The diagnostic value of 2D MRA in detection of malignant pulmonary artery stenosis in comparison with conventional DSA was investigated.

Materials And Methods: Eighteen patients were included in the study.

Pulmonary sequestration: demonstration of blood supply with 2D and 3D MR angiography.

Pulmonary sequestration is a relatively rare but clinically significant congenital anomaly. This disease is a spectrum of disorders involving the pulmonary airways, the arterial supply to the lungs, the lung parenchyma and its venous drainage. Traditionally, the diagnosis of pulmonary sequestration has been made definitively with arterial angiography.