Necrosis of hepatocellular carcinoma as a result of subintimal injury incurred by hepatic angiography: report of two cases.

This report described two patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in whom angiographic procedure caused an inadvertent subintimal injury of the hepatic artery, resulting in tumor necrosis. In the first case of a 38-year-old male, complete obstruction of the common hepatic artery occurred on the initial angiography. It was followed by marked reduction of the tumor vessels on repeat angiography, and necrosis of about half of the tumor as confirmed by computed tomography. In the other 58-year-old female, severe subintimal injury occurred in the proper hepatic artery followed by obstruction of the feeding arteries. Subsequent computed tomography scan disclosed necrosis of the tumor. Both patients presented the postembolization syndrome that consisted of a transient fever and elevation of blood enzymes. When spontaneous regression or reduction of hepatocellular carcinoma is observed, special attention should be paid regarding whether or not hepatic angiography was performed and clinical symptoms followed it.