Cutaneous seeding of hepatocellular carcinoma due to percutaneous ethanol injection and masquerading as a pyogenic granuloma.
BACKGROUND
This investigation reports a 68-year-old man with a history of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) diagnosed 2 years previously who developed a single, easy-bleeding, pyogenic granuloma (PG)-like lesion on his right upper abdomen, located in the area of previous therapeutic percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) for HCC treatment. The lesion developed 3 months after the injection. The tumor was found to be identical to his previous HCC.


OBJECTIVE
To describe a case of cutaneous seeding of HCC during PEI presented as a PG-like lesion. To our knowledge, this is the first such case reported in the literature.


METHODS
This is a case report and review the literature.


RESULTS
Immunostainings for alpha-fetoprotein and hepatocyte monoclonal antibody confirmed the diagnosis. Besides, the patient had no other metastatic lesion.


CONCLUSIONS
This tumor is believed to be caused by cutaneous seeding of HCC during PEI and is simulated clinically as a PG.
Department of Dermatology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
Mei-Ching
MC
Lee
Yau-Li
YL
Huang
Chih-Hsun
CH
Yang
Tseng-tong
TT
Kuo
Hong-Shang
HS
Hong
D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017789:Granuloma, Pyogenic / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D008297:Male; D009366:Neoplasm Seeding; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*
D000431:Ethanol