Hepatogastric Fistula following Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatogastric fistula (HGF) formation following transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) leads to increased morbidity and mortality. A 51-year-old Caucasian male with chronic hepatitis B virus-associated cirrhosis and unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) presented to the Interventional Radiology Unit for TACE to achieve tumor necrosis. Following the procedure, the patient was admitted with symptoms of fever, epigastric and right upper quadrant pain secondary to the development of an abscess. The abscess was drained; however, an exceedingly rare HGF resulted that was favored to represent a direct invasion of HCC. HGF, the rare complication following TACE, leads to grave consequences and vigilant monitoring, for the development of this entity is recommended to reduce patient mortality. We present a case and literature review of HGF development following TACE for HCC.