[A case of hepatocellular carcinoma implantation to chest wall by percutaneous ethanol injection therapy]

A 62-year-old male patient with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) received percutaneous ethanol injection therapy (PEIT) four times following fine needle biopsy (FNB). Six months later, he underwent partial hepatic resection because of the insufficient anti-cancer effect of PEIT. One year and five months after PEIT, a subcutaneous tumor, which appeared to be a needle tract seeding by PEIT, was recognized in the 9th intercostal space of the right chest wall. A curative resection of the partial chest wall, including IXth and Xth ribs, was carried out with reconstruction using dexon mesh five months later. The tumor was 3.5 cm in size, and the histology was moderately-differentiated HCC. PEIT is a useful treatment for small HCCs. When PEIT is carried out, due care should be taken for neoplastic needle-tract seedings as one of the possible complications.