Incarcerated Diaphragmatic Hernia as a Late Complication of Radiofrequency Ablation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Abstract

An 81-year-old woman who had been treated with percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) 15 months earlier was admitted because of abdominal pain. Computed tomography revealed a prolapsed large intestine through a defect in the right diaphragm, and emergency surgery was performed. The hernia orifice was 2.5 cm in diameter and adjacent to the HCC treated by RFA ; it was repaired by direct suture. Patients who undergo RFA for HCC should be carefully followed for possible diaphragmatic hernia, even after a long postoperative interval.