A Case of Peritoneal Dissemination from Hepatocellular Carcinoma after RFA/TACE Treatment

A 74-year-old man had been followed for hepatic cirrhosis C. In January and May 2006, abdominal computed tomography (CT) examinations revealed an enhanced lesion in S3/6 segments and he was diagnosed as having hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The patient was treated with radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). In August 2007, an intraabdominal mass lesion (12 cm in diameter) was detected using CT. We suspected the lesion to be a peritoneal recurrence of HCC, a gastrointestinal stromal tumor, an angiosarcoma or a malignant fibrous histiocytoma. Because the lesion was solitary, tumor extirpation was performed in September 2007. A histological examination of the resected nodule revealed the peritoneal dissemination of the HCC. This case seems to be a rare example of RFA-related peritoneal dissemination. Here, we describe this case and include a discussion of the relevant medical literature.