ECHO-GUIDED PERCUTANEOUS ETHANOL INJECTION IN SMALL HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA - PERSONAL-EXPERIENCE

We performed echo-guided percutaneous ethanol injection of the lesion in 26 cirrhotic patients with 33 hepatocellular carcinomas measuring 3 cm in diameter or less. Post-treatment lesions had disappeared in 4 p atients, while in the remaining 22 patients the echo pattern of the le sion had changed and biopsies were negative. Fifteen patients (follow- up 11-30 months) remain disease-free, while recurrence occurred betwee n 3 and 36 months in 7 cases. Percutaneous ethanol injection was succe ssfully repeated in 4 cases; 5 patients died, 1 of HCC, 2 of esophagea l variceal bleeding, and 2 of liver failure; 3 of the last four patien ts had Child's C disease. Percutaneous ethanol injection is a valuable treatment for hepatocellular carcinomas measuring not more than 3 cm. It has yet to be established how far this treatment influences the su rvival rates of patients and the natural course of hepatocellular carc inoma.