Spontaneous regression of multiple lung metastases following regression of hepatocellular carcinoma after transcatheter arterial embolization. A case report.

Spontaneous regression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rare phenomenon. Some reports have described cases of spontaneous regression of HCC, but there have been few cases with spontaneous regression of only metastatic lesions from HCC. We report a case of a 70-year-old woman with multiple lung metastases from HCC that regressed spontaneously following regression of HCC after transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE). To our knowledge, this is the first reported case that multiple lung metastases regressed spontaneously following TAE for HCC. Numerous mechanisms for spontaneous regression of HCC have been suggested such as subintimal damage, blood transfusion, alcohol withdrawal, infection, hemorrhagic shock, hepatic artery occlusion and herbal medicine. Our case, however, had no connection with any such symptom and medication. Our case suggests that the mechanisms leading to spontaneous regression in remote organs may be associated with activation of host immune response involving cytokines.