Case Report
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World J Hepatol. Dec 27, 2012; 4(12): 412-414
Published online Dec 27, 2012. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v4.i12.412
Atrial embolism caused by portal vein embolization: Treatment by percutaneous withdrawal and stenting
Ahmed Fouad Bouras, Stéphanie Truant, Jean-Paul Beregi, Geraldine Sergent, Olivier Delemazure, Guido Liddo, Gilles Lebuffe, Philippe Zerbib, François-René Pruvot, Emmanuel Boleslawski
Ahmed Fouad Bouras, Stéphanie Truant, Guido Liddo, Philippe Zerbib, François-René Pruvot, Emmanuel Boleslawski, Service de Chirurgie Digestive et Transplantation, CHU, Univ Nord de France, F-59000 Lille, France
Jean-Paul Beregi, Service d’imagerie cardiovasculaire diagnostique et interventionnelle, Hopital cardiologique, CHU, Univ Nord de France, F-59000 Lille, France
Geraldine Sergent, Olivier Delemazure, Service d’imagerie digestive diagnostique et interventionnelle, Hopital Claude Huriez, CHU, Univ Nord de France, F-59000 Lille, France
Gilles Lebuffe, Service d’anesthésiologie, Hopital Claude Huriez, CHU, Univ Nord de France, F-59000 Lille, France
Author contributions: Bouras AF and Beregi JP acquired the datas; Bouras AF contributed to the concept, design and writing of this paper; Truant S, Beregi JP, Liddo G, Lebuffe G, Zerbib P, Pruvot FR and Boleslawski E critically revised the paper; Sergent G and Delemazure O contributed to the technical advising; Beregi JP, Sergent G and Delemazure O are members of the operating team; Pruvot FR and Boleslawski E approved the final version of this paper.
Correspondence to: Ahmed Fouad Bouras, MD, Service de Chirurgie Digestive et Transplantation, CHU, Univ Nord de France, F-59000 Lille, France. afouadbouras@gmail.com
Telephone: +33-320-444260 Fax: +33-320-446364
Received: August 31, 2011
Revised: November 4, 2011
Accepted: November 14, 2012
Published online: December 27, 2012
Abstract

Hepatectomy remains the only curative treatment for many primary and secondary liver cancers. Portal vein embolization (PVE) has been used to increase the volume of the future liver remnant and thus lower the risk of small-for-size syndrome and postoperative liver failure. This technique has proven its safety, with a low post-procedure morbidity rate. Here, we describe a very rare case in which a young patient suffered a glue embolism to the right atrial cavity following PVE in preparation for a major hepatectomy for colorectal metastasis. The foreign body was withdrawn from the heart with a femoral, percutaneous device and trapped against the wall of the femoral vein with a self-expanding metal stent. Our report shows that this previously unknown complication of PVE can be resolved without recourse to sternotomy and open heart surgery.

Keywords: Liver metastasis, Percutaneous endovascular intervention, Portal vein, Embolization, Glue, Complications, Stenting