[Fatal complication of fine-needle biopsy of the liver]

A 62-year-old woman with cirrhosis of the liver was suspected of also having a primary liver-cell carcinoma. After puncture of a circumscribed liver process with a biopsy fine-needle there occurred massive bleeding which could not be surgically stopped, and the patient died. This was the first fatal outcome among 2760 fine-needle punctures in the author's personal series (0.036%).