Spontaneous rupture of hepatocellular carcinoma is a distinct presentation causing acute abdomen. Different treatment approaches have been advocated including emergency hepatectomy, initial hemostasis by hepatic artery ligation or transarterial embolization and second-stage hepatectomy. Unrecognized ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma during laparotomy is often encountered in countries where the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma is low. Radiofrequency ablation is a new localized thermal ablative technique for the treatment of unresectable hepatic tumors including hepatocellular carcinoma. We report a case where radiofrequency ablation was used as a salvage procedure for ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma during emergency laparotomy.
Department of Surgery, Centre for the Study of Liver Disease, University of Hong Kong Medical Centre, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, China. kcng66@yahoo.com
