Remission of extensive intrahepatic metastasis by C-arm computed tomography guided chemoembolization in uveal...

As soon as uveal melanoma has metastasized to the liver, response rates to systemic chemotherapy are low. It can be improved by development of special locoregional procedures. A 24-year-old woman suffered from inoperable hepatic metastases which grew to life-endangering size despite both systemic chemotherapy with gemcitabine/treosulfan and conventional intrahepatic chemoembolization with fotemustine and starch particles. We subsequently performed two angiographic C-arm CT-guided, superselective chemoembolizations of the hepatic arteries feeding the tumor, using cisplatin, starch microspheres and ethiodized oil. Following this treatment, no vital tumor tissue was detectable by MRI. This remission lasted for more than 6 months and the patient's quality of life was good. A subsequent local relapse could not be treated with chemoembolization because of thrombosis of the portal vein due to tumor compression. And the patient died 20 months after first detection of metastases. However, the selective angiographic C-arm CT-guided chemoembolization resulted in prolongation of life with good quality despite the advanced stage of the disease.