Fatal Diaphragmatic Hernia following Radiofrequency Ablation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Case Report and Literature Review

An 81-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of right quadrant abdominal pain. On admission, his liver function was Child-Pugh grade C (10 points). Computed tomography (CT) revealed a diaphragmatic herniation of bowel loops into the right thoracic cavity, accompanied by pleural effusion. Although diaphragmatic hernia was successfully repaired by emergency surgery, he died of liver failure 23 days after the surgery. A retrospective reading of CT images revealed the presence of diaphragmatic injury after radiofrequency ablation (RFA) which had been conducted 33 months before the development of diaphragmatic hernia. Of importance, the lesion of the diaphragmatic injury was located on the estimated needle track of RFA for hepatocellular carcinomas in segment 5 and segment 5/8, but not adjacent to their ablation areas. Subsequently, diaphragmatic perforation had been observed 24 months before admission. This suggests that diaphragmatic hernia caused by RFA is not necessarily due to thermal damage of ablation and is possibly life-threatening, at least in some patients with an impaired liver function.