TY - JOUR
T1 - CT and MRI findings correlate with the time-course of unresectable cavernous haemangioma of the liver after fractionated radiotherapy
AU - Lee, H. L.
AU - Chung, Tao Sang
AU - Chen, S. W.
AU - Lao, W. T.
PY - 2012/3/1
Y1 - 2012/3/1
N2 - We present the case of a 79-year-old female with symptomatic cavernous haemangioma of the liver. The patient had experienced progressive right lateral abdominal pain for years despite increased painkiller use. Surgical resection or transarterial embolisation was not recommended because of the patient's age, cardiovascular comorbidities and large tumour size. Therefore, the patient was treated with 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (RT) with a total dose of 30 Gy in 15 fractions. Following RT, the painkillers were tapered from the third month, and complete symptomatic remission was achieved after the ninth month. The measured tumour volume from serial images pre-RT and 3, 9 and 15 months post-RT was 400 ml, 372 ml, 185 ml and 140 ml, respectively. The most dramatic volumetric reduction was found between 3 and 9 months post-RT, whereas the change before or after this period was minimal. The time course of the radiological volumetric changes correlated with that of the clinical symptoms. In addition, the observed vascular changes on serial imaging studies were consistent with the assumed radiobiological effects after fractionated RT.
AB - We present the case of a 79-year-old female with symptomatic cavernous haemangioma of the liver. The patient had experienced progressive right lateral abdominal pain for years despite increased painkiller use. Surgical resection or transarterial embolisation was not recommended because of the patient's age, cardiovascular comorbidities and large tumour size. Therefore, the patient was treated with 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (RT) with a total dose of 30 Gy in 15 fractions. Following RT, the painkillers were tapered from the third month, and complete symptomatic remission was achieved after the ninth month. The measured tumour volume from serial images pre-RT and 3, 9 and 15 months post-RT was 400 ml, 372 ml, 185 ml and 140 ml, respectively. The most dramatic volumetric reduction was found between 3 and 9 months post-RT, whereas the change before or after this period was minimal. The time course of the radiological volumetric changes correlated with that of the clinical symptoms. In addition, the observed vascular changes on serial imaging studies were consistent with the assumed radiobiological effects after fractionated RT.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84863270510&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84863270510&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1259/bjr/74795623
DO - 10.1259/bjr/74795623
M3 - Article
C2 - 22391499
AN - SCOPUS:84863270510
SN - 0007-1285
VL - 85
SP - e49-e52
JO - British Journal of Radiology
JF - British Journal of Radiology
IS - 1011
ER -