Nontarget organ complications are a rare, yet serious side effect of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) procedures. We describe a case of a patient with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma who subsequently developed right-lower-lobar pulmonary infarction approximately three weeks after receiving TACE, owing to an abnormal vascular connection between the superior epigastric artery and the distal right pulmonary artery. Our case stresses the importance of pre-operative planning and imaging to familiarize oneself with variations in vascular anatomy and to recognize symptoms associated with even the rarest complication associated with TACE procedures, so as to initiate treatment and improve patient outcome.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.