The effectiveness of percutaneous ethanol injection therapy was investigated in 20 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (six cases), or hepatic metastases (twenty-five cases). 131 ethanol injections were performed between december 1987 and march 1990 for 30 lesions. Indications for this procedure included inadequate response to conventional treatment and tumor diameter less than 5 cm. Histopathologic examination, performed in all cases, showed that the tumor was completely necrotic in 16 cases, partially necrotic in 8 cases and not modified in 6 cases (one patient was not evaluable). Alpha-feto-protein and CEA levels were decreased in 12/17 cases. 16 patients were still alive at the end of the study (the mean follow-up period was 11.3 months). We conclude that ethanol injection may be a valuable treatment for small hepatic tumors.