PLEURAL SEEDING FROM HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA - A COMPLICATION OF PERCUTANEOUS ALCOHOL ABLATION

The authors present a case of proved seeding of the pleural space seco ndary to alcohol ablation of a primary hepatocellular carcinoma. The p atient underwent alcohol ablation for a 6.5-cm-diameter tumor in the r ight lobe of the liver; approximately 20 needle punctures were require d to ensure complete or almost complete destruction of the tumor. Six months after the original ablation, a hypervascular pleural metastasis was noted adjacent to the original lesion at computed tomography. Per cutaneous biopsy of the pleural lesion showed hepatocellular carcinoma .