Gallbladder infarction following hepatic transcatheter arterial embolization. Angiographic study.

Gallbladder infarction developing after transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) in patients with malignant hepatic tumors was studied by comparing preoperative angiographic and postoperative macroscopic and histological findings. Eight patients demonstrated occlusion of the cystic artery or its branches by embolic materials on post-TAE angiograms. Surgery revealed infarction of the gallbladder in 6 patients; no infarction was noted in the other 2, although branches of the cystic artery were occluded on the post-TAE angiogram. Due to recanalization of the occluded artery, the infarcted area could be assessed only by follow-up angiography. No patient experienced perforation of the gallbladder as a result of infarction. The authors suggest that patients with post-TAE infarction of the gallbladder can be treated conservatively if they are kept under close observation.