title: Does the size of the needle influence the number of portal tracts obtained through percutaneous liver biopsy?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Liver biopsy (LB) is often essential for the diagnosis and staging of chronic viral hepatitis. The aim of our paper was to establish if the size of the biopsy needle influences the number of portal tracts obtained through LB.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective study on 596 echoassisted percutaneous LBs performed in the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Timisoara during a 4 years period. We included only those biopsy results that had mentioned both the type of needle and the number of portal tracts. All LBs were echoassisted and performed with Menghini modified needles 1.4 and 1.6 mm in diameter (technique with two passages into the liver). The liver fragments were analyzed by a senior pathologist and Knodell score was used to describe necroinflammatory activity as well as fibrosis. We compared the number of portal tracts obtained with 1.4 vs. 1.6 Menghini needles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Type 1.4 mm Menghini needles were used for 80 LBs, while 1.6 mm type were used in 516 LBs. Liver fragments obtained with 1.6 mm Menghini needles had a significantly higher mean number of portal tracts as compared to those obtained with 1.4 needles (24.5 ± 10.6 vs. 20.8 ± 8.6, p = 0.003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 1.6 mm Menghini needles provide better liver biopsy specimens, with higher number of portal tracts, as compared to 1.4 mm Menghini needles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania. isporea@umft.ro
authors.forename: Ioan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sporea
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gherhardt
authors.forename: Alina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Popescu
authors.forename: Roxana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sirli
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cornianu
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Herman
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bota
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000473:pathology; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009339:Needles; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012383:Romania; D012720:Severity of Illness Index