Casanovas-Taltavull T, Ribes J, Berrozpe A, Jordan S, Casanova A, Sancho C, Valls C, Bosch FX. Patient with hepatocellular carcinoma related to prior acute arsenic intoxication and occult HBV: Epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic results after 14 years of follow-up. World J Gastroenterol 2006; 12(12): 1972-1974 [PMID: 16610011 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v12.i12.1972]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Dr. Teresa Casanovas-Taltavull, Department of Gastroenterology, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, IDIBELL, Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain. teresacasanovas@csub.scs.es
Article-Type of This Article
Case Report
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World J Gastroenterol. Mar 28, 2006; 12(12): 1972-1974 Published online Mar 28, 2006. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v12.i12.1972
Patient with hepatocellular carcinoma related to prior acute arsenic intoxication and occult HBV: Epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic results after 14 years of follow-up
Teresa Casanovas-Taltavull, Josepa Ribes, Ana Berrozpe, Sara Jordan, Aurora Casanova, Concha Sancho, Carles Valls, F Xavier Bosch
Teresa Casanovas-Taltavull, Ana Berrozpe, Sara Jordan, Department of Gastroenterology , Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
Josepa Ribes, F Xavier Bosch, Epidemiology and Cancer Registration Unit, Institut Català d’Oncologia, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
Aurora Casanova, Department of Microbiology, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
Concha Sancho, Carles Valls, Department of Radiology. Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
Supported by FIS (Fondo Investigación Sanitaria) 94/1635 for the following project: Epidemiological survey of HBV carriers. Mortality and risk factors for the development of chronic liver disease and from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III of the Spanish Government (grants RTICCC C03/09 & RTICESP C03/10).
Correspondence to: Dr. Teresa Casanovas-Taltavull, Department of Gastroenterology, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, IDIBELL, Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain. teresacasanovas@csub.scs.es
Telephone: +34-93-2607909 Fax: +34-93-2607603
Received: August 9, 2005 Revised: September 2, 2005 Accepted: September 10, 2005 Published online: March 28, 2006
Abstract
Little is known about the long-term survivors of acute arsenic intoxication. We present here a clinical case report of a man with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection who developed hepatocellular carcinoma four years after acute arsenic poisoning. HBsAg was detected in serum in 1990 when he voluntarily donated blood. In 1991, the patient suffered from severe psychological depression that led him to attempt suicide by massive ingestion of an arsenic-containing rodenticide. He survived with polyneuropathy and paralysis of the lower limbs, and has been wheelchair-bound since then. During participation in a follow-up study conducted among HBV carriers, abdominal ultrasound detected a two-centimeter liver mass consistent with hepatocellular carcinoma. The tumor was confirmed by computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance image (MRI). Because of his significant comorbidity, the patient received palliative treatment with transarterial lipiodol chemoembolization (TACE) on three occasions (1996, 1997 and 1999). At his most recent visit in May 2005, the patient was asymptomatic, liver enzymes were normal and the tumor was in remission on ultrasound.
