[Percutaneous ethanol injection of malignant liver tumors under ultrasonographic guidance]

16 patients (14 males, 2 females, mean age: 59.2 years) underwent sonographic-guided ethanol injections as treatment for 23 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) complicating cirrhosis. All lesions were pathologically proven by sonographic-guided cytology. Tumor sizes ranged from 9 to 66 mm. Sterile 96% alcohol was injected with a 17.7 cm-long 22 gauge spinal needle at one week intervals. At each session, 8-50 ml was injected depending on the diameter of the tumor. We regarded as a "success" the negativation of the cytologies one, two and three months after the end of the treatment associated with normalization of alpha-fetoprotein levels and typical echographic and tomodensitometric changes. No serious complication was associated with the procedure. In the "Child A" group1, 6 of 7 tumors have been successfully treated, the largest measuring 66 mm. The seventh lesion is currently being treated. In the "Child B" group1 3 of 6 lesions have been successfully treated. No success has been obtained in the "Child C" group. Volumes of alcohol greater than previously reported may be useful for lesions larger than 40 mm. Percutaneous alcohol injections can be considered as an alternative to surgery even for lesions larger than 50 mm. Among 4 patients presenting with 11 liver metastases of colic and gastric adenocarcinoma and 1 patient with a small bowel carcinoid tumor, one remission with a follow-up of 5 months was observed.