Utility of X-ray and indocyanine green fluorescence imaging in detecting hepatocellular carcinoma dissemination on laparoscopic surgery: A case report

Indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging is useful for the intraoperative detection of the peritoneal dissemination of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, in laparoscopic surgery, disseminations cannot be accurately identified unless the camera lens is positioned close to the lesion. The present study describes a case of HCC dissemination in which the lesions were accurately identified by combining intraoperative fluoroscopy with ICG fluorescence imaging. A 76-year-old male was diagnosed with HCC dissemination. Computed tomography revealed a 9-mm disseminated nodule near the gallbladder. Although transarterial chemoembolization had also been used to treat this lesion, chemoembolization was technically difficult to perform. Therefore, a coil was placed around the lesion to serve as an intraoperative landmark for later laparoscopic resection. Given the potential difficulty of detecting the lesion during laparoscopic surgery, ICG fluorescence imaging was used to determine the approximate location of the dissemination. The lesion exhibited strong fluorescence, which facilitated its complete resection.