%0 Journal Article
%T The reappraisal of Batson¡¯s theory by isolated para-vertebral metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma
%A Po-Chin Liang
%A Kai-Wen Huang
%J PeerJ
%D 2015
%I 
%R 10.7287/peerj.preprints.212v1
%X The extra-hepatic metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) usually hints late disease stage and poor prognosis. However, we treated 5 unusual HCC patients with isolated para-vertebral metastasis by tumor excision and the surgical result is satisfactory during 3.5 years follow-up in mean. To explain why the unusual situation of isolated metastasis of HCC occurred, an alternative spreading route of cancer cells bypass pulmonary circulation and avoid pulmonary vascular filtration, the Batson¡¯s plexus, was highly suspected. We supposed that isolated para-vetebral metastases seems not to mean a late disease stage, aggressive management made longer survival possible, and it was confirmed by our clinical experience.
%K Hepatocellular carcinoma
%K metastasis
%U https://peerj.com/preprints/212/