Pleural tumor seeding following percutaneous cryoablation of hepatocellular carcinoma

Numerous modalities for hepatic tumor ablation are currently used including ethanol injection, radiofrequency ablation (RFA), cryoablation, and microwave ablation. The results and complications of these various tumor ablation techniques have been reported extensively, with the most data existing for percutaneous RFA. One of the most serious complications from tumor ablation is the seeding of cancer cells along the ablation tract. The incidence and risk factors for tract seeding in RFA have been reported, but little information regarding this complication with other ablation modalities has been reported. We report a case of tumor seeding into the pleural space following percutaneous cryoablation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).