Rupture of metastatic nodule on the peritoneal surface secondary to hepatocellular carcinoma

A 20-year-old man with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) died of intraperitoneal bleeding from ruptured HCC, which was diagnostic from hemorrhagic ascites. At autopsy, a small nodule covered with hematogenous deposits was noted in the pelvic cavity near the left iliac artery. Microscopic findings showed that this was a ruptured metastatic nodule from HCC. Rupture of a metastatic nodule from HCC, especially one located on the peritoneal surface, has rarely been reported in the literature.