Hepatocellular carcinoma and metastatic cancer detected by iodized oil.

An oily contrast medium was injected into the hepatic artery in rabbits with implanted VX2 carcinoma in the liver. The contrast medium was initially detected in all of the branches of the injected artery, but 3 and 7 days after injection it was found only in the tumor tissue on plain radiographs. Taking advantage of this phenomenon, an oily contrast medium was injected into the hepatic artery in 5 patients with liver tumors. A plain radiograph of the abdomen after the injection presented a clearer picture of the tumor and detected smaller tumors, compared with a conventional selective celiac angiogram in 5 patients. It is concluded that an injection of oily contrast medium into a hepatic artery is a useful technique to detect liver tumor.