Needle tract seeding: an avoidable complication

CT-guided needle biopsy is not associated with increased ipsilateral pleural metastasis

INTRODUCTION

Histological confirmation of a lung tumor is the prerequisite for treatment planning. It has been suspected that CT-guided needle biopsy (CTGNB) exposes the patient to a higher risk of pleural recurrence. However, the distance between tumor and pleura has largely been neglected as a possible confounder when comparing CTGNB to bronchoscopy.

METHODS

All patients with lung cancer histologically confirmed by bronchoscopy or CTGNB between 2010 and 2020 were enrolled and studied. Patients' medical histories, radiologic and pathologic findings and surgical records were reviewed. Pleural recurrence was diagnosed by pleural biopsy, fluid cytology, or by CT chest imaging showing progressive pleural nodules.

RESULTS

In this retrospective unicenter analysis, 844 patients underwent curative resection for early-stage lung cancer between 2010 and 2020. Median follow-up was 47.5 months (3-137). 27 patients (3.2 %) with ipsilateral pleural recurrence (IPR) were identified. The distance of the tumor to the pleura was significantly smaller in patients who underwent CTGNB. A tendency of increased risk of IPR was observed in tumors located in the lower lobe (HR: 2.18 [±0.43], p = 0.068), but only microscopic pleural invasion was a significant independent predictive factor for increased risk of IPR (HR: 5.33 [± 0.51], p = 0.001) by multivariate cox analysis. Biopsy by CTGNB did not affect IPR (HR: 1.298 [± 0.39], p = 0.504).

CONCLUSION

CTGNB is safe and not associated with an increased incidence of IPR in our cohort of patients. This observation remains to be validated in a larger multicenter patient cohort.

Renal mass biopsy - a practical and clinicopathologically relevant approach to diagnosis

Advancements in imaging modalities have increased the frequency of renal mass discovery. Imaging has typically been considered sufficient to guide management for a large proportion of these tumours, but renal mass biopsies (RMBs) have an increasing role in determining malignancy and can be a valuable tool for preventing unnecessary surgery in patients with benign tumours. A structured approach should be used to help to navigate the expanding repertoire of renal tumours, many of which are molecularly defined. In terms of tumour subtyping, the pathologist's strategy should focus on stratifying patients into clinically different prognostic groups according to our current knowledge of tumour behaviour, including benign, low-grade or indolent, intermediate malignant or highly aggressive. Crucial pathological features and morphological mimicry of tumours can alter the tumour's prognostic group. Thus, pathologists and urologists can use RMB to select patients with tumours at a reduced risk of progression, which can be safely managed with active surveillance within a tailored imaging schedule, versus tumours for which ablation or surgical intervention is indicated. RMB is also crucial in the oncological setting to distinguish between different high-grade tumours and guide tailored management strategies.

Combination Chemotherapy Optimization with Discrete Dosing

Chemotherapy drug administration is a complex problem that often requires expensive clinical trials to evaluate potential regimens; one way to alleviate this burden and better inform future trials is to build reliable models for drug administration. This paper presents a mixed-integer program for combination chemotherapy (utilization of multiple drugs) optimization that incorporates various important operational constraints and, besides dose and concentration limits, controls treatment toxicity based on its effect on the count of white blood cells. To address the uncertainty of tumor heterogeneity, we also propose chance constraints that guarantee reaching an operable tumor size with a high probability in a neoadjuvant setting. We present analytical results pertinent to the accuracy of the model in representing biological processes of chemotherapy and establish its potential for clinical applications through a numerical study of breast cancer.

Needle tract seeding of a sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma in a biopsy tract: a case report

BACKGROUND

A sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma (SEF) is an uncommon tumor of the deep soft tissue. An SEF has been described as a low-grade tumor with high local recurrence and metastatic rates. Generally, in bone and soft tissue tumors, a resection of the biopsy route is recommended; however, there is limited evidence with respect to the dissemination of the tumor tissue during a needle biopsy.

CASE PRESENTATION

A mass in the right pelvic cavity, with no symptoms, was observed in a 45-year-old woman during a gynecological examination. Computed tomography (CT) revealed a multilocular mass with calcification in the pelvic cavity. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed an iso-signal intensity on T1 weighted images and hypo- and iso-signal intensity on T2 weighted images. The CT-guided core needle biopsy was performed using a dorsal approach, and the biopsy diagnosis was a low-grade spindle cell tumor. The tumor was excised using an anterior approach. The tumor tissue comprised spindle cells and epithelioid cells with irregular nuclei, and the immunohistological analysis was positive for vimentin and epithelial membrane antigen, which was consistent with a diagnosis of sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma. Five years after the surgery, the MRI showed a tumor recurrence in the subcutaneous tissue of the right buttock, which was consistent with the needle biopsy tract. The patient underwent a tumor excision, and the resected tumor was similar to the primary tumor.

CONCLUSIONS

The recurrent tumor was excised with a surgical margin, and the tumor specimen had the histological features of a sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma. It was difficult to investigate the association of the core needle biopsy with the tumor recurrence because the approach of the biopsy tract is usually same as that used in a tumor excision. However, the present case indicated the tumor may recur in the biopsy tract of a soft tissue sarcoma. Surgeons should be aware of the possibility of disseminating tumor tissues in a needle biopsy.

Delayed manifestation of needle track metastasis after radical cholecystectomy: is needle track mapping needed?

This surgical perspective paper highlights the importance and rationale of performing a needle biopsy of a gallbladder mass though the future anticipated surgical incision site. It is a simple, and cost-effective technique, requiring close collaboration between the surgeon and the radiologist.

Misdiagnosis of carcinoma gall bladder in endemic regions

Background

Incidental carcinoma gall bladder and benign disease in radical cholecystectomy specimen is the cause of concern. We attempted to find out the incidence and reasons thereof in the present study.

Methods

Present study is a retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained database between July 2002 and July 2019. All patients with a diagnosis of carcinoma gall bladder admitted for surgery were included.

Results

Out of 148 patients, 110 patients had carcinoma gall bladder (CAGB), while 38 patients (25.7%) had incidental carcinoma (under-diagnosis). Radical resection was done in 61/110 (55.4%) patients with clinical CAGB, where 15 (24.6%) patients had benign pathology (“over-diagnosis”). Overdiagnosis was due to xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis (n = 9), chronic cholecystitis (n = 2), tuberculosis (n = 2) and IgG4 related cholecystitis (n = 2). Among 61 patients, a history of weight loss and anorexia were significantly associated with malignancy. Asymmetrical wall thickness was significantly more common in benign mimickers.

Among patients with incidental carcinoma, preoperative ultrasonography reported normal wall thickness of gall bladder in 28 (73.7%), thickened gall bladder wall in 6, and polyp in 3 patients. The resectability rate among incidental carcinoma was 27/38 (71.05%).

Conclusion

Over-diagnosis of the carcinoma gall bladder was present in 24.6%. On the other hand, incidental carcinoma comprised 25.7% of all admissions for carcinoma gall bladder with resectability of 71%.

Clinical dilemma of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration for resectable pancreatic body and tail cancer

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is a first-line procedure for definitive tissue diagnosis of pancreatic cancer because of its high accuracy and low complication rate. The overall sensitivity of EUS-FNA for the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is approximately 90%; however, its diagnostic ability for small lesions (<10 mm) remains limited. Although EUS-FNA is a relatively safe procedure, with an overall morbidity of ≤2%, it should be noted that needle tract seeding (NTS) can occur after EUS-FNA, which may affect the patient prognosis negatively. In patients with resected pancreatic tumors, preoperative EUS-FNA is not associated with an increased risk of postoperative recurrence. However, NTS after EUS-FNA for resectable pancreatic body and tail cancer has been highlighted recently, particularly by Japanese endoscopists. Thus, the use of preoperative EUS-FNA for the diagnosis of resectable pancreatic body and tail cancer has become a clinical dilemma that challenges gastroenterologists and must be carefully considered on a case-by-case basis by weighing the benefits and risks. This review summarizes the pros and cons of performing EUS-FNA in patients with resectable pancreatic body and tail cancer and provides valuable insight for gastroenterologists treating pancreatic cancer.

Tumour Seeding After a Thoracic Biopsy for Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Case Report and a Review of the Literature

The role of percutaneous tumour biopsies had gain importance in the management of renal cell carcinoma to provide diagnostic specimen for the patients with metastatic disease that could benefit a systemic treatment. Among the possible complications of this procedure, however, there is the risk of tumoral cells seeding along the biopsy’s tract; this complication, albeit being reported as anecdotal, could have devastating effects. Here we report a case of a young male who developed subcutaneous chest metastasis of renal cell carcinoma after a biopsy of a lung nodule. We subsequently reviewed other cases reported in literature

Needle tract seeding in renal tumor biopsies: experience from a single institution

Background

Percutaneous needle biopsy of renal masses has been increasingly utilized to aid the diagnosis and guide management. It is generally considered as a safe procedure. However, tumor seeding along the needle tract, one of the complications, theoretically poses potential risk of tumor spread by seeded malignant cells. Prior studies on the frequency of needle tract seeding in renal tumor biopsies are limited and clinical significance of biopsy-associated tumor seeding remains largely controversial.

Methods

Here we investigated the frequencies of biopsy needle tract tumor seeding at our institution by reviewing the histology of renal cell carcinoma nephrectomy specimens with a prior biopsy within the last seventeen years. Biopsy site changes were recognized as a combination of foreign body reaction, hemosiderin deposition, fibrosis and fat necrosis. The histologic evidence of needle tract tumor seeding was identified as clusters of tumor cells embedded in perinephric tissue spatially associated with the biopsy site. In addition, association between parameters of biopsy techniques and tumor seeding were investigated.

Results

We observed needle tract tumor seeding to perinephric tissue in six out of ninety-eight (6 %) renal cell carcinoma cases including clear cell renal cell carcinoma, papillary renal cell carcinoma, chromophobe, and clear cell papillary renal cell carcinoma. The needle tract tumor seeding was exclusively observed in papillary renal cell carcinomas (6/28, 21 %) that were unifocal, small-sized (≤ 4 cm), confined to the kidney and had type 1 features. No recurrence or metastasis was observed in the papillary renal cell carcinoma cases with tumor seeding or the stage-matched cases without tumor seeding.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrated a higher than reported frequency of needle tract tumor seeding. Effective communication between pathologists and clinicians as well as documentation of tumor seeding is recommended. Further studies with a larger patient cohort and longer follow up to evaluate the impact of needle tract tumor seeding on long term prognosis are needed. This may also help reach a consensus on appropriate pathologic staging of renal cell carcinoma when the only site of perinephric fat invasion is within a biopsy needle tract.

Laser-heated needle for biopsy tract ablation: In vivo study of rabbit liver biopsy

PURPOSE

To investigate the efficacy of a newly-developed laser-heated core biopsy needle in the thermal ablation of biopsy tract to reduce hemorrhage after biopsy using in vivo rabbit's liver model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Five male New Zealand White rabbits weighed between 1.5 and 4.0 kg were anesthetized and their livers were exposed. 18 liver biopsies were performed under control group (without tract ablation, n = 9) and study group (with tract ablation, n = 9) settings. The needle insertion depth (~3 cm) and rate of retraction (~3 mm/s) were fixed in all the experiments. For tract ablation, three different needle temperatures (100, 120 and 150 °C) were compared. The blood loss at each biopsy site was measured by weighing the gauze pads before and after blood absorption. The rabbits were euthanized immediately and the liver specimens were stained with hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) for further histopathological examination (HPE).

RESULTS

The average blood loss in the study group was reduced significantly (p < 0.05) compared to the control group. The highest percentage of bleeding reduction was observed at the needle temperature of 150 °C (93.8%), followed by 120 °C (85.8%) and 100 °C (84.2%). The HPE results show that the laser-heated core biopsy needle was able to cause lateral coagulative necrosis up to 14 mm diameter along the ablation tract.

CONCLUSION

The laser-heated core biopsy needle reduced hemorrhage up to 93.8% and induced homogenous coagulative necrosis along the ablation tract in the rabbits' livers. This could potentially reduce the risk of tumor seeding in clinical settings.

Needle Tract Implantation Following Fine-Needle Aspiration of Thyroid Cancer

BACKGROUND

Needle tract implantation (NTI) can occur after thyroid fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). To date, no studies enrolling a large number of patients and studying the cumulative incidence (CI) of NTI have been published. This study analyzed the clinicopathological features of NTI and calculated the CI.

METHODS

A total of 11,745 patients who underwent first FNAC, resection for thyroid carcinomas and related lymph node metastases, and postoperative ultrasonography in Kuma Hospital between 2006 and 2017 were evaluated. NTI was defined as macroscopically visible and/or sonographically detected recurrent tumors at the sites of the previous aspiration. Lymphovascular invasion and/or nodal metastasis were excluded.

RESULTS

We found 22 NTI-THY (originated from aspiration of thyroid tumors) and 8 NTI-LN (originating from lymph nodes) cases with CI of 0.15% and 0.37%, and 0.37% and 0.58% at 5 and 10 years after FNAC, respectively. A large percentage (53%) of cases are presented as more aggressive histologic subtypes than their original tumors. Of these NTI patients, 4 (12.1%) died of disease and 10 (33.3%) developed distant metastases but remained alive with stable disease, three (9.1%) developed local recurrences, and the remaining 15 (10%) were free of recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrated for the first time the CI and detailed clinicopathological features of thyroid NTI associated with possible histological transformation. Despite the low CI, the risk of death and distant metastases increase manifold in NTI patients than that in patients without recurrence. Therefore, NTI could be an important prognostic variable and impact patient survival.

Overlooked risk for needle tract seeding following endoscopic ultrasound-guided minimally invasive tissue acquisition

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided minimally invasive tissue acquisition can be performed by two approaches as follows: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) and endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle biopsy (EUS-FNB). These have been evolved into leading approaches and widely used for the histological diagnosis of tumors in the gastrointestinal tract and adjacent organs. However, the role of EUS-FNA and EUS-FNB in disease diagnosis and evaluation remains controversial. Although the incidence of surgery-associated complications remains low, the consequences of needle tract seeding can be serious or even life-threatening. Recently, increasing case reports of needle tract seeding are emerging, especially caused by EUS-FNA. This complication needs serious consideration. In the present work, we integrated these case reports and the related literature, and summarized the relevant cases and technical characteristics of needle tract seeding caused by EUS-FNA and EUS-FNB. Collectively, our findings provided valuable insights into the prevention and reduction of such serious complication.

Chromosome Instability; Implications in Cancer Development, Progression, and Clinical Outcomes

Chromosome instability (CIN) refers to an ongoing rate of chromosomal changes and is a driver of genetic, cell-to-cell heterogeneity. It is an aberrant phenotype that is intimately associated with cancer development and progression. The presence, extent, and level of CIN has tremendous implications for the clinical management and outcomes of those living with cancer. Despite its relevance in cancer, there is still extensive misuse of the term CIN, and this has adversely impacted our ability to identify and characterize the molecular determinants of CIN. Though several decades of genetic research have provided insight into CIN, the molecular determinants remain largely unknown, which severely limits its clinical potential. In this review, we provide a definition of CIN, describe the two main types, and discuss how it differs from aneuploidy. We subsequently detail its impact on cancer development and progression, and describe how it influences metastatic potential with reference to cancer prognosis and outcomes. Finally, we end with a discussion of how CIN induces genetic heterogeneity to influence the use and efficacy of several precision medicine strategies, including patient and risk stratification, as well as its impact on the acquisition of drug resistance and disease recurrence.

Needle tract seeding after percutaneous cryoablation of small renal masses; a case series and literature review

Neoplastic cell seeding due to needle tumor manipulation during renal mass biopsy (RMB) or thermal ablative treatment is a rare but potentially serious event that can turn an organ-confined and curable tumor in a nonorgan-confined and non-curable disease. Despite the widespread use of percutaneous thermal ablative treatment for small renal masses (SRMs), this complication has been described in few case reports and small case series and has never been reported after ablative treatment alone. We report a series of two patients that underwent cryoablation for SRMs and developed recurrence along the needle tract. Available knowledge on the controversial topic of tumor seeding following needle manipulation are poor. So far, reporting cases of tumor cell seeding due to needle manipulation is useful to permit a better understanding of this complication.

Needle tract seeding following endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration for pancreatic cancer: a report of two cases

Background

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is a useful tool in pancreatic cancer diagnosis. However, the procedure itself may cause peritoneal dissemination and needle tract seeding at the puncture site. We herein report two cases of gastric wall metastasis due to needle tract seeding after EUS-FNA.

Case presentation

Case 1: A 68-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital for persistent cough. Computed tomography (CT) scan revealed inflammatory changes in the left lung field, and incidentally, a 15-mm hypovascular mass was detected in the pancreatic body. She underwent EUS-FNA and was diagnosed as pancreatic adenocarcinoma. She underwent distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy; however, a small hard mass was observed in the posterior gastric wall during surgery. We performed partial gastrectomy, and the resected specimen was diagnosed as a needle tract seeding following EUS-FNA. She then underwent adjuvant chemotherapy with TS-1, but the pancreatic cancer showed recurrence 6 months after surgery. She died due to peritoneal dissemination 18 months after surgery.

Case 2: A 70-year-old man was incidentally detected with a pancreatic body mass on a CT scan as part of his follow-up for recurrence of basal cell carcinoma. He underwent EUS-FNA and was diagnosed as pancreatic adenocarcinoma. He had nodules in both lungs, and it was difficult to differentiate them from lung metastasis of pancreatic cancer. Therefore, he underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, and thereafter, the lung nodules showed no changes; hence, he underwent distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy. During surgery, we observed a hard mass in the posterior gastric wall. We performed partial gastrectomy, and the resected specimen was diagnosed as needle tract seeding due to EUS-FNA. He underwent chemotherapy with TS-1, and he is still alive 18 months after surgery at the time of writing.

Conclusion

For resectable pancreatic body or tail tumors, EUS-FNA should be carefully performed to prevent needle tract seeding and intraoperative as well as postoperative assessment for gastric wall metastasis is mandatory.

An uncommon case of gall bladder mass: gall bladder tuberculosis

Gall bladder tuberculosis (TB) is a rare entity and differentiation of gall bladder TB from gall bladder malignancy is difficult. We hereby present an unusual case of incidental diagnosis of gall bladder TB during the evaluation of a gall bladder with suspicion of gall bladder cancer in a 49-year-old woman. The diagnosis of gall bladder TB was made with fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) from the gall bladder mass as the disease was found unresectable after cross-sectional imaging. Even with the advancement of cross-sectional imaging, the differentiation of gall bladder TB from gall bladder malignancy is not possible without tissue diagnosis.

Implications for high-precision dose radiation therapy planning or limited surgical resection after percutaneous computed tomography-guided lung nodule biopsy using a tract sealant

Purpose

Precision radiation therapy such as stereotactic body radiation therapy and limited resection are being used more frequently to treat intrathoracic malignancies. Effective local control requires precise radiation target delineation or complete resection. Lung biopsy tracts (LBT) on computed tomography (CT) scans after the use of tract sealants can mimic malignant tract seeding (MTS) and it is unclear whether these LBTs should be included in the calculated tumor volume or resected. This study evaluates the incidence, appearance, evolution, and malignant seeding of LBTs.

Methods and materials

A total of 406 lung biopsies were performed in oncology patients using a tract sealant over 19 months. Of these patients, 326 had follow-up CT scans and were included in the study group. Four thoracic radiologists retrospectively analyzed the imaging, and a pathologist examined 10 resected LBTs.

Results

A total of 234 of 326 biopsies (72%, including primary lung cancer [n = 98]; metastases [n = 81]; benign [n = 50]; and nondiagnostic [n = 5]) showed an LBT on CT. LBTs were identified on imaging 0 to 3 months after biopsy. LBTs were typically straight or serpiginous with a thickness of 2 to 5 mm. Most LBTs were unchanged (92%) or decreased (6.3%) over time. An increase in LBT thickness/nodularity that was suspicious for MTS occurred in 4 of 234 biopsies (1.7%). MTS only occurred after biopsy of metastases from extrathoracic malignancies, and none occurred in patients with lung cancer.

Conclusions

LBTs are common on CT after lung biopsy using a tract sealant. MTS is uncommon and only occurred in patients with extrathoracic malignancies. No MTS was found in patients with primary lung cancer. Accordingly, potential alteration in planned therapy should be considered only in patients with LBTs and extrathoracic malignancies being considered for stereotactic body radiation therapy or wedge resection.

Carbon dating cancer: defining the chronology of metastatic progression in colorectal cancer

Background

Patients often ask oncologists how long a cancer has been present before causing symptoms or spreading to other organs. The evolutionary trajectory of cancers can be defined using phylogenetic approaches but lack of chronological references makes dating the exact onset of tumours very challenging.

Patients and methods

Here, we describe the case of a colorectal cancer (CRC) patient presenting with synchronous lung metastasis and metachronous thyroid, chest wall and urinary tract metastases over the course of 5 years. The chest wall metastasis was caused by needle tract seeding, implying a known time of onset. Using whole genome sequencing data from primary and metastatic sites we inferred the complete chronology of the cancer by exploiting the time of needle tract seeding as an in vivo 'stopwatch'. This approach allowed us to follow the progression of the disease back in time, dating each ancestral node of the phylogenetic tree in the past history of the tumour. We used a Bayesian phylogenomic approach, which accounts for possible dynamic changes in mutational rate, to reconstruct the phylogenetic tree and effectively 'carbon date' the malignant progression.

Results

The primary colon cancer emerged between 5 and 8 years before the clinical diagnosis. The primary tumour metastasized to the lung and the thyroid within a year from its onset. The thyroid lesion presented as a tumour-to-tumour deposit within a benign Hurthle adenoma. Despite rapid metastatic progression from the primary tumour, the patient showed an indolent disease course. Primary cancer and metastases were microsatellite stable and displayed low chromosomal instability. Neo-antigen analysis suggested minimal immunogenicity.

Conclusion

Our data provide the first in vivo experimental evidence documenting the timing of metastatic progression in CRC and suggest that genomic instability might be more important than the metastatic potential of the primary cancer in dictating CRC fate.

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor in the paraspinal region mimicking a benign peripheral nerve sheath tumor: a case report

PURPOSE

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors are extremely rare in the general population and display a predilection for metastasis to the lungs. Here, we present a rare case of a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor located in the paraspinal region and highlight the importance of preoperative biopsy in diagnosis of spinal epidural peripheral nerve sheath tumors.

METHODS

We describe the clinical course of the patient as well as the radiological and pathological findings of the tumor.

RESULTS

A 14-year-old girl presented with a six-month history of sacral pain. Occasionally she experienced left leg pain and abnormal gait. General physical examination revealed sensorial loss in the L5-S1 regions. T1-weighted sagittal MRI showed a hypointense oval mass and the contrast-enhanced T1-weighted axial MRI image showed heterogeneous enhancement of the tumor. On CT imaging, this tumor characteristically appears as a dumbbell-like mass with punctate calcification and widening L5-S1 intervertebral foramen. Complete resection was performed using an anterior approach. Intraoperative pathological examination revealed evidence of malignancy and subsequent immunohistochemical analysis of the tumor confirmed the diagnosis of MPNST. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient has had significant improvement in her symptoms 1 month postoperatively.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative biopsy should be routinely performed for pathological differential diagnosis of spinal epidural PNSTs as well as surgical decision-making. Furthermore a combination of clinical manifestation, radiological findings and biopsy should also be pursued for diagnosing these tumors.

Tumor Seeding With Renal Cell Carcinoma After Renal Biopsy

Tumor seeding following biopsy of renal cell carcinoma is extremely rare with an incidence of 1:10.000. In this paper two cases with multiple recurrent RRC metastasis in the biopsy tract following biopsy of renal tumor is presented and the current literature is shortly discussed.

Implantation cutaneous tuberculosis after ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration cytology

A 45-year-old female presented with recurrent biliary pain, fever, anorexia and weight loss of 3 months duration. She was on highly active antiretroviral therapy for underlying human immunodeficiency virus infection for the past 5 months. Clinical examination revealed a 3-cm firm hepatomegaly. Investigations suggested mild anaemia, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, deranged liver function tests, Mantoux test of 25 mm and CD4 count of 417 cells μl⁻¹. Ultrasonography revealed mild central intrahepatic biliary radical dilatation with a dilated common bile duct and multiple periportal and peripancreatic lymph nodes. Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) from the periportal lymph node was performed twice. Both were reported as only bloody aspirate. The patient developed an erythematous tender skin nodule at the site of insertion of the FNAC needle 15 days after the second FNAC procedure. An excision biopsy of the nodule showed ill-formed epithelioid cell granulomas with acid-fast bacilli, indicating tuberculosis. The patient was started on antitubercular therapy with complete response.

Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma Seeding along a Percutaneous Biopsy Tract

We report a case of tumour seeding caused by percutaneous biopsy of a papillary renal cell carcinoma detected on pathological assessment of the partial nephrectomy specimen in a 50-year-old male. Whilst percutaneous biopsy of renal masses is considered to be safe and can be a valuable tool in the assessment of certain renal lesions, it is not without risks. This rare complication should be taken into consideration before contemplating its use in a patient.

Novel imaging strategies for upper gastrointestinal tract cancers

Accurate pretherapeutic imaging is the cornerstone of all cancer treatment. Unfortunately, modern imaging modalities have several unsolved problems and limitations. The differentiation between inflammation and cancer infiltration, false positive and false negative findings as well as lack of confirming biopsies in suspected metastases may have serious negative consequences in cancer patients. This review describes some of these problems and challenges the use of conventional imaging by suggesting new combined strategies that include selective use of confirming biopsies and complementary methods to detect microscopic cancer dissemination.