title: Percutaneous ultrasound-guided needle biopsy of hepatic mass lesions using a cytohistologic approach. Comparison of two needle types.
abstract: This study compared the ability to diagnose and accurately classify hepatic mass lesions by ultrasound-guided biopsy using two different needle types: a 20 gauge needle that yielded primarily cytologic material and an 18 gauge automated core biopsy needle. Slides prepared from each of the needle types were separately evaluated in a blinded fashion. The 20 gauge needle had a sensitivity of 90%, a specificity of 90%, and enabled exact tumor classification in 70% of cases. The 18 gauge core biopsy had a sensitivity of 85%, a specificity of 100%, and allowed exact tumor typing in 82% of cases. The sensitivity and specificity of both needle types combined was 98% and 100%, respectively, and all malignancies were correctly typed. A combined cytohistologic approach provides a highly accurate means of diagnosing and typing hepatic tumors and provides a suitable sample for confirmatory stains. Accurate tumor typing may affect therapeutic decisions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pennsylvania 15213-2582, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dusenbery
authors.forename: J V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Ferris
authors.forename: F L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Thaete
authors.forename: B I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Carr
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009339:Needles; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014463:Ultrasonography