Adjustment of lipiodol dose according to tumor blood supply during transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for large hepatocellular carcinoma by multidetector helical CT

AIM: To work out an individualized lipiodol dose in transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for large hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) according to its blood supply evaluated by CT. METHODS: One hundred patients with large HCC (more than 8 cm in diameter) were studied by multidetector helical CT. Patterns of blood supply of HCC were divided into sufficient blood supply, poor blood supply, mixed blood supply and arteriovenous (A-V) shunt. The dose of ultra-fluid lipiodol was determined by diameter and blood supply type of HCC. Patients were divided into two groups (50 cases each): lipiodol perfusion group and iodized oil perfusion group according to tumor diameter and the blood supply type of tumor. RESULTS: The confirmation and effective rates were 82%, 84% in the first group and 36%, 46% in the second group (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: A relatively individualized lipiodol dose may be determined according to the blood supply pattern and the tumor diameter by CT imaging.