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Tunneled Peritoneal Catheter Placement Under Sonographic and Fluoroscopic Guidance in the Palliative Treatment of Malignant Ascites

¹ All authors: Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, White 270, 55 Fruit St., Boston, MA 02114.

OBJECTIVE. We present a treatment for recurrent, symptomatic ascites in patients with malignant disease. This report summarizes our experience with percutaneous tunneled peritoneal catheters in 24 patients.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS. Of the 40 consecutive patients who presented with at least four therapeutic paracenteses in a 4-week period, 24 patients underwent the percutaneous tunneled procedure. All had malignant ascites.

RESULTS. All 24 patients had successful insertion of a permanent tunneled peritoneal drainage catheter. Eighteen were outpatients and six were inpatients. All patients were relieved of their clinical symptoms, including abdominal distention and dyspnea, and were relieved of lower extremity discomfort. The mean life span after catheter placement was 7.2 weeks. Twenty (83%) of the 24 patients were treated at home with their catheters in place. Three patients experienced minor complications from bacterial peritonitis, which responded to antibiotics. One patient had to have his catheter removed.

CONCLUSION. Percutaneous placement of specialized tunneled catheters appears to be a viable and safe technique in patients who have symptomatic ascites that require frequent therapeutic paracentesis for relief of symptoms.

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