title: Evaluation of Percutaneous Liver Biopsy Complications in Patients with Chronic Viral Hepatitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Liver biopsy is still the gold standard for the determination of liver fibrosis and necroinflammatory activity. It is an invasive method and may lead to severe complications. The aim of this study was to determine the evaluation of percutaneous liver biopsy complications in patients with chronic viral hepatitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  1165 patients, who were followed with the diagnosis of chronic viral hepatitis and who were applied percutaneous liver biopsy between January 2000 and February 2013 at the out-patient clinic of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, were included in the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 1165 patients who underwent liver biopsy, 196 (86 male, 110 female) were diagnosed with chronic hepatitis C, 969 (559 male, 410 female) were diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B. The mean age was 43.3 and 55.4% were male. 11% of the patients were diagnosed with chronic renal failure and underwent haemodialysis. Minor complication rate was about 20% (severe pain required usage of analgesic drugs in 19.8%, abdominal pain in 22.6%) whereas major complication rate was 1.15% (pneumothorax in 0.17%, heamobilia in 0.08%, hematoma in 0.9%). We did not observe severe complications such as fever, abscess, anaphylaxis, bacteraemia, organ perforations, sepsis or death.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite being an invasive procedure, percutaneous liver biopsy can be considered a safe method because of the low rates of severe complications observed in our patients.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, İzmir Tepecik Training and Research Hospital, İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sukran
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kose
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, İzmir Tepecik Training and Research Hospital, İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gursel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ersan
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, İzmir Tepecik Training and Research Hospital, İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Bengu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tatar
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, İzmir Tepecik Training and Research Hospital, İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Pelin
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Adar
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology Clinic, Tekirdağ Public Hospital, Tekirdağ, Turkey.
authors.forename: Buket Erturk
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Sengel
keywords: Chronic viral hepatitis; complication; liver biopsy