Experimental transcatheter hepatic subsegmentectomy using absolute ethanol in dogs.

In this study, we evaluate the effect of an intraportal injection of absolute ethanol in the canine liver and discuss how to introduce it in clinical application. The intraportal injection of ten milliliters of ethanol using a balloon occlusion catheter created an evident and well-demarcated necrotic lesion in the right central lobe. Histological examination showed a typical coagulation necrosis with fibrous bands, which became thicker day by day. The weight of the necroses ranged from 5 to 55 grams with an average of 26.0 +/- 5.5 grams (mean +/- SE), which was approximately 20 to 40 per cent of the right central lobe. Complications resulting from the ethanol injection were minimal and although more studies need to be done to clearly establish its safety for cirrhotic patients with hepatoma, this technique may be an easier and less invasive substitute for operative hepatic subsegmentectomy.