title: Subcutaneous metastases after laparoscopic-assisted partial hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: We reported an unusual case with subcutaneous seeding of hepatocellular carcinoma 12 months after laparoscopic-assisted partial hepatectomy. A 69-year-old woman with hepatitis-C-related liver cirrhosis was found to have hepatocellular carcinoma on routine sonographic examination. The tumor located superficially in the left lateral segment. She received laparoscopic-assisted partial hepatectomy for the tumor in February 2002. She was uneventful after the surgery and serum α-fetoprotein level dropped from 1217 to 275 ng/mL in 3 months. Serum α-fetoprotein level was found to rise 9 months after surgery and a subcutaneous tumor appeared over the surgical wound 12 months after surgery. Resection of lesion showed hepatocellular carcinoma. To our knowledge, seeding of hepatocellular carcinoma on surgical wound has rarely, if ever, been reported after laparoscopic-assisted surgery. The patient died of disseminated recurrence 20 months after the surgery. This case reminded us the risk of tumor seeding after laparoscopic-assisted partial hepatectomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, Republic of China. 27716@cch.org.tw
authors.forename: Yang-Yuan
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hsu-Heng
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Yen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D040521:Subcutaneous Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins
chemical_list: D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins