A Rare Complication Following Transarterial Chemoembolization for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

According to the Taiwanese government's official annual report listing the top 10 causes of death, cancer was the leading cause of death in Taiwan in 2013, with hepatocellular carcinoma ranking second among those cancer deaths. Transarterial chemoembolization has been shown to be widely used in the treatment for unresectable disease, and increase survival in patients with intermediate stage hepatocellular carcinoma according to the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer classification. Despite relatively low morbidity, however, major complications may be seen. We report the case of a 54-year-old male with hepatocellular carcinoma who suffered from severe abdominal pain after transarterial chemoembolization, where further studies found a rare complication of subcapsular hematoma of the right kidney.