Temporary balloon occlusion of the common hepatic artery for administration of yttrium-90 resin microspheres in a patient with patent hepatoenteric collaterals.

The most common serious complication of yttrium-90 ((90)Y) therapy is gastrointestinal ulceration caused by extrahepatic microsphere dispersion. The authors describe the use of a balloon catheter for temporary occlusion of the common hepatic artery to reverse hepatoenteric flow for lobar administration of resin microspheres when coil embolization of a retroportal artery was impossible. At 9 months after treatment, the patient had no gastrointestinal side effects and showed a partial response.