Gallbladder Fistula Treated with N-Butyl-2-Cyanoacrylate after Radiofrequency Ablation in a Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patient: a Case Report

Abstract

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive local therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Even though RFA is considered to be a safe treatment modality, a variety of complications have been reported. Recently, we encountered a case of refractory fistula between a liver abscess and the gallbladder after RFA. A 64-year-old woman diagnosed with HCC associated with chronic hepatitis B was treated by RFA. After RFA, she experienced abdominal pain, and abdominal computed tomography (CT) revealed a liver abscess complicated by a previous treatment of HCC, she was treated with intravenous antibiotics and percutaneous abscess drainage. Follow-up abdominal CT revealed a fistula between the liver abscess and gallbladder, which was successfully treated with percutaneous transcatheter n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (NBCA) embolization. We herein report the rare case of a refractory fistula between a liver abscess and the gallbladder after RFA in a patient treated with NBCA embolization.