Prospective study of the incidence of ultrasound-detected hepatic hematomas 2 and 24 hours after percutaneous liver biopsy.
Recently, a high incidence of hepatic hematomas following percutaneous liver biopsy was reported. This induced us to undertake this prospective ultrasound examination before, as well as 2 and 24 h after, percutaneous liver biopsy, using a Menghini needle (O 1.4 mm), in 93 patients for diagnostic purposes. Two hours after biopsy a small subcapsular fluid margin was found in one patient (1.1%) which disappeared within 24 h. We conclude that hepatic hematomas are not frequent following percutaneous liver biopsy and that it remains a safe diagnostic procedure to find out the reason for chronically elevated liver enzymes and evaluate suspected diffuse parenchymal lesions of the liver.
Department of Internal Medicine, Municipal Hospital, Lüneburg, Federal Republic of Germany.
P G
PG
Lankisch
E
E
Thiele
R
R
Mahlke
H
H
Lübbers
K
K
Riesner
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D005260:Female; D006406:Hematoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014463:Ultrasonography