摘要AIM: Clinical application and potential complication of percutaneous transsplenic varices embolization (PTSVE) of esophageal or gastrio-fundal varices in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) complicated with portal vein cancerous thrombosis (PVCT).METHODS: 18 patients with HCC complicated with PVCT and esophageal or gastrio-fundal varices who underwent PTSVE were collected. The rate of success, complication, mortality of the procedure and postoperative complication were recorded and analyzed.RESULTS: PTSVE were successfully performed in 16 of 18cases, and the rate of success was 89%. After therapy erythrocyte counts decreased in all of the natunts. 5 of patients needed blood transfusion, 2 patients requiredsurgical intervention because of and 11 patients with ascites were alleviated by diuresis. Among these 18patients, the procedure-related mortality was 11% (2/18),one died of acute hepatic failure on the forth day after procedure, another died of acute renal failure on the fifth day. The patients were follow up for 112 mon exceptone. 13of them died of their tumors but none of them experienced variceal bleeding.CONCLUSION: PTSVE is a relatively safe and effective method to treat esophageal or gastrio-fundal varices in HCCpatients with PVCT when percutaneous transhepatic varices embolization (PTHVE) of varices is impossible.