Cutaneous seeding following fine needle biopsy of colonic liver metastases

Abstract

Needle track seeding is a rare complication of percutaneous needle biopsy which has become less frequent with the advent of the fine needle. We describe one case of malignant cutaneous seeding following fine needle aspiration of a peripherally based hepatic metastasis from colonic carcinoma. This report underlines the need to traverse normal adjacent liver parenchyma prior to entering a peripherally-based metastatic deposit to reduce the likelihood of malignant cutaneous seeding.