The role of percutaneous liver biopsy in the pretreatment evaluation of pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
Percutaneous liver biopsies were performed on twenty-two patients with locally unresectable adenocarcinoma of the exocrine pancreas within a median of six weeks of laparotomy. Three patients (13 per cent) had positive biopsies obtained either blindly or at peritoneoscopy. Of these three patients, two had elevations in either alkaline phosphatase, direct bilirubin, or hepatic transaminase levels, and one of these two patients had an abnormal liver-spleen scintigram. Liver biopsies are recommended for all patients being evaluated for pancreatic resection either pre- or intraoperatively.
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007813:Laparotomy; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery