A Fatal Case of Pulmonary Embolism after Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is one of the most common palliative treatment modalities for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). TACE is an invasive procedure associated with several potential complications of varying severity. A pulmonary embolism after TACE for HCC is a rare complication. We report a case of pulmonary Lipiodol embolism after a third TACE resulting in death. (Korean J Med 2011;81:236-240)