[Hemoperitoneum caused spontaneous rupture of hepatocellular carcinoma. Role of hepatic artery embolization in the therapeutic procedure].

A 73-year-old man with intraperitoneal haemorrhage due to spontaneous rupture of hepatocellular carcinoma was successfully treated by emergency transcatheter hepatic artery embolization. A safe hepatic resection was performed 30 days after the procedure. The patient was still alive four months after surgery. We concluded that emergency arterial embolization is an effective alternative to surgery to control hemorrhage resulting from spontaneous rupture of hepatocellular carcinoma and permits, when possible, a safe subsequent surgical treatment of the disease.