Background—In patients with a hepatic mass, malignancy can be diagnosed or excluded by a needle biopsy. However, this procedure can cause the formation of subcutaneous metastatic nodules in the needle tract. We present a case of recurrent subcutaneous seeding four years after a biopsy of a small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Case report—A 30 year old woman with hepatitis B liver cirrhosis presented with a raised serum α-fetoprotein (AFP) (271 μg/l; normal: <20 μg/l); ultrasound detected a liver mass. Additional spiral computed tomography showed a 2 cm diameter subcapsular mass in segment V. There were also two satellite lesions, measuring less than 1 cm in the same segment. To confirm the diagnosis of HCC, an ultrasound guided needle biopsy was performed using an 18 gauge Tru-cut needle and Biopty-gun. Two passes were needed to …