Aim: The necessity and desirability of performing percutaneous biopsy of potentially resectable liver tumours is called into question.
Methods: Two cases are reported in which percutaneous biopsy of resectable liver tumours was performed unnecessarily and resulted in needle track seeding.
Results: In both instances patients who underwent potentially curative liver resection were rendered incurable because of biopsy track recurrence.
Conclusion: The common practice of performing percutaneous ultrasound or CT guided biopsy of potentially resectable lesions in the liver is generally neither necessary nor desirable.