[Needle tract metastasis following sonographically guided puncture of a mesenteric lymph node metastasis in...

Peripheral bronchial carcinoma with infiltration of the right lateral thoracic wall (Pancoast tumour) was demonstrated in a 60-year-old man with breathing-related pain in the right thoracic wall of two months' duration. As part of tumour staging needle puncture of an intra-abdominal space-occupying lesion was performed, guided by ultrasonography. Histological examination confirmed it as a bronchial carcinoma metastasis. Combined radio- and chemotherapy hardly influenced tumour growth. Three months later a subcutaneous lesion became palpable in the area of the previous needle puncture which on excision proved to be a metastasis. The patient died 10 months later from the bronchial carcinoma. Percutaneous puncture of potentially malignant space-occupying lesions must be strictly indicated. The frequency of needle tract seeding is not exactly known.