The positive color Doppler sign post biopsy: effectiveness of US-directed compression in achieving hemostasis.
BACKGROUND
Percutaneous biopsies of soft-tissue organs are frequently performed using US guidance. US permits visualization of blood flow on color Doppler imaging.


OBJECTIVE
To report the presence of color Doppler signal (positive color Doppler sign) along the biopsy tract after percutaneous needle biopsy of the liver and kidney as an indication of bleeding and to describe US-guided hemostasis.


METHODS
A case-control study of US-guided liver and kidney biopsies performed between January 2005 and September 2009 was undertaken. All pediatric patients with a positive color Doppler sign along the biopsy tract were included. Controls consisted of patients in whom no color Doppler sign was identified.


RESULTS
Fifty-three cases with positive color Doppler sign were identified. One hundred and six matched controls were selected. The average compression time was 9.2 min in kidney and 8.4 min in liver cases. US-guided compression achieved cessation of the positive color Doppler sign in all cases. There was no significant difference between the mean pre- and post-procedure hemoglobin and platelet levels between kidney cases and controls (P=0.68 and P=0.63, respectively) and between liver cases and controls (P=0.45 and P=0.80).


CONCLUSIONS
Color Doppler US can detect bleeding post percutaneous liver and kidney biopsies. US-guided compression is effective in obliterating the color Doppler signal and achieving appropriate hemostasis.
Alotaibi
Mohammed
M
Image Guided Therapy, Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, 555 University Ave., Toronto, Canada.
Shrouder-Henry
Jason
J
Amaral
Joao
J
Parra
Dimitri
D
Temple
Michael
M
John
Philip
P
Connolly
Bairbre
B
D000293:Adolescent; D001706:Biopsy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006487:Hemostasis; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color