Accordion phenomenon of the hepatic artery: mimicker of vasospasm or intimal injury

The accordion phenomenon occurs because of mechanical distortion of a straightened vessel during coronary and vascular interventions. To date, however, this phenomenon has not been reported in vessels of the upper abdomen. We therefore describe the accordion phenomenon of the hepatic artery during transarterial chemoembolization seen while treating a liver tumor. As the accordion phenomenon is now known to involve hepatic arteries, it should be differentiated from vascular complications such as vasospasm or intimal injury.