Pain palliation by percutaneous acetabular osteoplasty for metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma

A 68-year-old man with hepatocellular carcinoma and known skeletal metastasis developed right hip pain and gait disturbance due to an osteolytic metastasis in the right acetabulum. This was treated initially with chemoembolization and radiation therapy. When these procedures proved unsuccessful percutaneous injection of acrylic bone cement into the acetabulum was undertaken. Immediately after this procedure, he obtained sufficient pain relief and improved walking ability, which continued for 3 months until he died of hepatic insufficiency.