Ultrasound-guided liver biopsy in real life: comparison of same-day prebiopsy versus real-time ultrasound approach.
OBJECTIVE
Currently, an increasing number of liver biopsies are performed by radiologists under real-time ultrasound control. A routine ultrasound assessment of a puncture site before performing percutaneous biopsy is reported to increase diagnostic yield and decrease complication rates. It is not clear if real-time ultrasound is superior to marking the puncture site before biopsy as regards reducing biopsy size and avoiding fragmentation and complications. The aim of this study was to compare ultrasound assessment of the puncture site before performing percutaneous liver biopsy with real-time ultrasound liver biopsy for suspected diffuse liver disease.


METHODS
Consecutive percutaneous liver biopsies (n = 631) for diffuse liver disease were evaluated. Group A consisted of patients who had real-time guided-ultrasound biopsy performed by radiologists (241 patients; M/F, 35/106; median age 48 year [range, 17-76]; needle 18 G). Group B patients were assessed by radiologists using ultrasound of the puncture site on the same day that biopsies were performed by experienced gastroenterologists/hepatologists on the ward using the marked site (390 patients; M/F, 276/114; median age 43 year [range, 15-75]; needle 16 G).


RESULTS
There were no differences in severity of liver disease, establishing a diagnosis (OR, 1.92 [95% CI, 0.84-4.34]; P = 0.12), length of liver biopsy specimens, number of fragments or complications. Two independent variables were significantly associated with a histological diagnosis: longer biopsy length (P < 0001) and fragment number of two or less (P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Real-time ultrasound did not improve diagnostic yield or result in fewer complications. Marking the puncture site seems adequate and has the practical advantage that it takes up less of the radiologists' time.
Manolakopoulos
Spilios
S
Gastroenterology Department, Polykliniki General Hospital, Athens, Greece. spilios1@otenet.gr
Triantos
Christos
C
Bethanis
Sotirios
S
Theodoropoulos
Jiannis
J
Vlachogiannakos
Jiannis
J
Cholongitas
Evangelos
E
Sideridis
Markos
M
Barbatis
Calipso
C
Piperopoulos
Ploutarchos
P
Spiliadi
Charis
C
Papadimitriou
Nikolaos
N
Roukounakis
Nikolaos
N
Tzourmakliotis
Dimitrios
D
Avgerinos
Alec
A
Burroughs
Andrew
A
D001663:Bilirubin / Q000378:metabolism; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D003404:Creatinine / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D019934:International Normalized Ratio; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D010976:Platelet Count; D011517:Prothrombin Time; D012016:Reference Values; D012449:Safety; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*
D012709:Serum Albumin; D003404:Creatinine; D001663:Bilirubin