Tumor seeding occurring after fine-needle biopsy of abdominal malignancies

Percutaneous fine-needle aspiration biopsy is a commonly used diagnostic procedure with a high accuracy and a low complication rate. However, tumor seeding in the biopsy tracts has been recorded with a frequency of one in 20 000-40 000 biopsies. We report 5 cases of percutaneous tumor seeding recorded after 5 000 fine-needle biopsies of abdominal malignancies at our institution. The risk of implantation metastases induced by fine-needle biopsy warrants consideration in patients with abdominal malignancies since it may compromise the outcome of radial surgery. It should only be performed when the result of the procedure has a direct impact on the choice of therapy. (orig.)