[Does the core biopsy of solid liver lesions permit an exact histological classification? Results of a prospective study under routine clinical conditions].
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this prospective study was to answer the question to what extent percutaneous core-cut biopsy of solid lesions of the liver can permit (sub-)classification under routine conditions.


METHODS
Subject of this study were 80 percutaneous core-cut biopsies of solid liver lesions in 75 patients. The biopsies were done consecutively under routine conditions by 10 different radiologists with Tru-Cut-needles and a biopsy gun with sonographic (n = 73) or CT (n = 7) guidance. After receiving the histological analysis, the radiologists then prospectively divided the biopsies into "valid" und "unclear" using clinical and radiologic data of the respective patient. The results were verified by a second biopsy, follow-up or surgery.


RESULTS
80% of all histological analyses were rated as "valid", 20% as "unclear". The accuracy of the "valid" reports in respect of ranking was 95% and 90% for the accurate tumour classification. These values were reduced to 81.3% and 74%, respectively, with regard to the total number of cases. The negative predictive value was reduced from 78% to 51.7%.


CONCLUSIONS
Core-cut biopsy of solid liver lesions guided by imaging yields good results even under routine conditions as long as all histological reports have been correlated with imaging and clinical informations.
Knöpfle
E
E
Klinik für Diagnostische Radiologie und Neuroradiologie, Zentralklinikum Augsburg.
Bohndorf
K
K
Wagner
T
T
D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000145:classification; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D011446:Prospective Studies