title: [Correlations between laboratory and ultrasonic diagnosis and needle biopsy in chronic hepatitis and alcoholic cirrhosis].
abstract: A report is presented on patients admitted to hospital with chronic hepatitis or alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver and subjected to diagnostic laboratory tests, ultrasound scans and needle biopsies both non-surgical and during laparoscopy. The laboratory findings were compared with the results of ultrasound scans and biopsies. It was concluded that the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound scans is sufficient, when backed by anamnestic clinical and laboratory data, to obviate the need for liver biopsy in cases of chronic hepatitis and alcoholic cirrhosis. Nor is biopsy required for differential diagnosis between the two conditions but should be reserved for the setting of diagnostic uncertainty about cancer-cirrhosis, or the presence of hepatoma, liver metastases, ascites or other oedematous forms. It is concluded that the undoubled diagnostic accuracy of biopsy does not compensate for the risk entailed especially for patients of this type.
authors.affiliation: Regione Veneto, U.L.S.S. n. 12, Presidio Ospedaliero di Valdobbiadene, Divisione Medica.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pace
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dotta
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moretto
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Breda
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rizzo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sanzuol
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004796:Clinical Enzyme Tests; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D006519:Hepatitis, Alcoholic / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014463:Ultrasonography
vernacular_title: Correlazioni fra diagnosi laboratoristica, ecografia e agobiopsia di epatite cronica e cirrosi alcoolica.