THOROTRAST TUMORS: A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE AND REPORT OF TWO CASES

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1961 · Acta. Pathol. Microbiol. Scand.

OSTI ID:4659260

Dahlgren, S

Of the two new cases described in detail, the 1st patient was a 41-yr- old man on whom at the age of 21 cerebral angiography had been performed with Thorotrast. After 18 yr he developed recurrent neurofibrosarcomatous tumors in the neck at the site of injection. The 2nd case concerns a man of 64 yr who 21 years previously was injected with Thorotrast in connection with cerebral angiography. At autopsy, Thorotrast deposits were found in liver, spleen, bone marrow, and lymph nodes. In association with large foci of Thorotrast in the hilus of the liver, a moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma had developed from the intrahepatic bile ducts. Metastases were found in the liver and in the regional lymph nodes. In both cases, it is suggested that the Thorotrast tumors were probably elicited by radiation from ThO/sub 2/ particles deposited in the tissues. A survey of the literature was made which revealed 59 cases. The latent period between the injection of the contrast medium and the appearance of the malignant tumor is about 18 yr on the average. Reported thorotrastomas are divided into three groups, according to their mode of origin: tumors appearing at the site of injection, tumors due directly to Thorotrast deposited in the organs, or tumors due to Thorotrast injected systemically and deposited in the reticuloendothelial system. The tumors were practically all localized in the liver but a few cases are described where they appeared in other organs in contact with the Thorotrast foci in the liver, spleen, or lymph nodes. In the spleen the changes do not take the form of tumor development but of progressive destruction with fibrosis of the parenchyma. The spleen is usually reduced in size and has a firm consistency. Twenty-six cases of malignant tumors originating in the liver or bile ducts after use of Thorotrast have been reported. An increasing number of cases of liver tumors following application of Thorotrast have been reported in recent years, and more can be expected in the immediate future. (TCO)

• Research Organization: Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm
• NSA Number: NSA-17-035462
• OSTI ID: 4659260
• Journal Information: Acta. Pathol. Microbiol. Scand., Journal Name: Acta. Pathol. Microbiol. Scand. Vol. Vol: 53
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

AGE
ANGIOGRAPHY
BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
BLOOD VESSELS
BONE MARROW
CARCINOGENESIS
COLLOIDS
LIVER
LYMPH SYSTEM
MAN
METASTASES
NERVOUS SYSTEM
QUANTITY RATIO
RADIOGRAPHY
SPLEEN
THORIUM OXIDES
THOROTRAST
TUMORS