Percutaneous ethanol injection therapy for neoplasms located on the surface of the liver.

There has been a reluctance to perform percutaneous ethanol injection therapy on lesions located on the surface of the liver because of the possibility of complications. We treated 16 lesions located on the surface of the liver in 14 patients by percutaneous ethanol injection and evaluated the complications and efficacy. Bleeding and seeding of malignant cells did not occur in any case. However, transient pain after injection of ethanol was more intense in these patients than in those whose lesions were not on the surface of the liver. Histopathologic examinations, imaging findings, and decrease in the serum alpha-fetoprotein levels showed that percutaneous ethanol injection was effective for tumors located on the surface of the liver. Our experience suggests that percutaneous ethanol injection can be performed safely even when lesions are located on the surface of the liver.