Monooctanoin perfusion treatment of intrahepatic calculi.

Seventeen patients who had intrahepatic calculi underwent perfusion with monooctanoin. While five patients responded with a decrease in size or number of calculi, only one had a complete response; 12 showed no response; and one died during the perfusion (however, the perfusion was not believed to have contributed to the death). Fifteen of the 17 patients required further treatment by a combination of basket extraction, oral administration of chenodeoxycholic acid, or surgery. The lack of response to monooctanoin perfusion was in part due to calculus composition. Because of the poor response to this treatment and the prolonged hospitalization generally required, monooctanoin is not recommended for dissolution of intrahepatic calculi.