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Post-embolization syndrome-like symptoms due to shedding of necrotic material of hepatocellular carcinoma into the bile duct following transcatheter arterial chemoembolization: an instructive case

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Abstract

Fever, abdominal pain, and liver dysfunction are almost inevitable complications of transcatheter arterial chemo embolization (TACE) for hepatocellular carcinoma, but these symptoms may also be due to bile duct obstruction caused by shedding of necrotic tumor material into the bile duct. A 68-year-old man presented with persistent fever, liver dysfunction, and abdominal pain after TACE. Computed tomography revealed stone-like hyperdensities in the bile duct. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography revealed these structures to be necrotic material from hepatocellular carcinoma. We believe this is an instructive case of an often overlooked situation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastroenterology, Dokkyo Medical University Saitama Medical Center, 2-1-50 Minami-Koshigaya, Koshigaya, Saitama, 343-8555, Japan

    Ikuhiro Kobori, Rion Masaoka, Hiroki Maeda, Fuki Hayakawa, Yumi Kusano, Hitoshi Kino, Koichi Soga, Yasumi Katayama & Masaya Tamano

  2. Department of Pathology, Dokkyo Medical University Saitama Medical Center, Koshigaya, Saitama, Japan

    Akiko Fujii

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  1. Ikuhiro Kobori
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  2. Rion Masaoka
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  3. Hiroki Maeda
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  4. Fuki Hayakawa
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  5. Yumi Kusano
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  6. Hitoshi Kino
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  7. Akiko Fujii
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  8. Koichi Soga
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  9. Yasumi Katayama
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  10. Masaya Tamano
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All authors have participated in writing, revising, and editing this manuscript.

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Correspondence to Ikuhiro Kobori.

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Kobori, I., Masaoka, R., Maeda, H. et al. Post-embolization syndrome-like symptoms due to shedding of necrotic material of hepatocellular carcinoma into the bile duct following transcatheter arterial chemoembolization: an instructive case. Clin J Gastroenterol 17, 563–566 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12328-024-01932-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12328-024-01932-z

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