Radiofrequency ablation of needle tract seeding in hepatocellular carcinoma.

A tumor needle tract seeding, 20 mm in diameter, was detected with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in a 72-year-old man, 10 months after radiofrequency ablation of a 55-mm subcapsular hepatocellular carcinoma. This seeding was successfully treated with ultrasound-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation. No recurrence was found after a 2-year follow-up either on contrast-enhanced computed tomography or MR imaging. Needle tract seeding treatment is not well established. Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of such seeding is one elegant potential treatment option. Efficacy seems promising but has to be confirmed in larger series. Further evaluation is needed.