CASE REPORT: Haemothorax due to hepatocellular carcinoma rupture successfully controlled by transcatheter arterial embolization

A 64-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with multiple hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) lesions in the liver and lung. On the seventh hospital day, a chest radiograph showed a marked increase in right pleural effusion. A thoracentesis revealed a haemothorax. Despite repeated pleural taps and blood transfusions, the patient's clinical status worsened and he developed severe dyspnoea. An inferior phrenic arteriography on the 19th hospital day showed a tumour growing over the diaphragm into the right thoracic cavity, suggesting a tumour rupture. A transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) of the inferior phrenic artery successfully controlled the bleeding and improved the haemothorax. There was no rebleeding; however, the patient died of advanced HCC 3 months later. To our knowledge, this is the first case of a haemothorax secondary to a ruptured HCC that was treated successfully with TAE.