Since its introduction in the mid-1990s, balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) has become widely accepted in Japan as a minimally invasive, highly effective treatment for gastric varices. Sufficient filling and stagnation of the sclerosing agent in the entire variceal complex is essential for successful BRTO of gastric varices. However, the success of BRTO in this context also requires familiarity with the hemodynamic features of the varices, including the patterns of their afferent and draining veins, which affect the degree of difficulty in performing BRTO. Thus, accurate assessment of the hemodynamic pattern before and during each procedure is essential for successful treatment. Sixty cases of gastric varices that were successfully treated with transcatheter techniques over the past 5 years were reviewed and analyzed. From this study, a classification system for gastric varices was developed that is based on the hemodynamic pattern of the varices.

Balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) has become the treatment of choice for gastric varices at many institutions in Japan. However, in some cases that involve complex types of afferent or draining veins, the use of standard BRTO for the treatment of gastric varices may be associated with several difficulties that can lead to unfavorable results. In such cases, additional techniques are required for successful treatment. These techniques include stepwise injection of the sclerosing agent, selective injection of the agent via a microcatheter, coil embolization of the afferent gastric veins, double-balloon catheterization, and BRTO performed with percutaneous transhepatic portal venous access or transileocolic venous access. The majority of gastric varices can be treated successfully with a combination of these techniques. However, accurate assessment of the variceal hemodynamic pattern is the most important factor in ensuring successful treatment.

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We report four cases of mucin-producing carcinoma of the gallbladder (three papillary adenocarcinomas and one mucinous carcinoma), with an emphasis on imaging features. Our findings suggest that when a papillary protrusion or thickened wall, including cystic areas and/or calcifications, is seen radiologically in the enlarged gallbladder, mucin-producing carcinoma of the gallbladder should be included in the differential diagnosis.