Clinical and Molecular Hepatology, 2012 · DOI: 10.3350/cmh.2012.18.3.316 · Published: September 1, 2012
Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is a treatment for liver cancer that can cause side effects due to tissue damage. Neurological side effects, though rare, can lead to severe complications. This report describes a case where a patient developed paraplegia after TACE, which was performed to relieve bone pain from hepatocellular carcinoma that had spread to the rib. The patient received treatment including steroid pulse therapy and rehabilitation, and eventually regained the ability to walk, though some residual symptoms persisted.
Clinicians should be aware of the rare but severe risk of spinal cord injury, including paraplegia, associated with TACE, particularly when targeting intercostal arteries.
Careful angiographic technique is necessary to avoid embolization of spinal arteries during TACE.
Consider alternative treatment modalities for lesions requiring TACE via intercostal arteries, especially when tumor-supplying vessel selection is difficult.