title: Core biopsy of the bowel wall: efficacy and safety in the clinical setting.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and complications of percutaneous 18-gauge core biopsies of lesions of the bowel wall using CT and sonographic guidance. A retrospective study was made of 15 biopsy procedures performed on 12 patients with suspected neoplasia of the gastrointestinal tract. The biopsies were performed when there were no sites of metastatic disease more readily accessible to biopsy and the lesion was inaccessible to endoscopic techniques or when the endoscopic biopsy findings were negative.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Three biopsy procedures provided inadequate samples and the biopsies were repeated, giving a total of 15 biopsy procedures. A tissue diagnosis was made in all 12 patients. All procedures were well tolerated, and no immediate or delayed complications occurred. Percutaneous core biopsy of bowel wall masses is a safe technique that allows a histologic diagnosis to be obtained in difficult cases when other methods cannot provide an adequate tissue sample.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro, Cornwall, TR1 3LJ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Farmer
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Harries
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Maskell
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Farrow
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007422:Intestines / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D015641:Radiography, Interventional; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012449:Safety; D013048:Specimen Handling; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional