[The use of echo-guided fine-needle biopsy in the diagnosis of nodular hepatic lesions]

Recenti Prog Med. 1996 Dec;87(12):586-8.
[Article in Italian]

Abstract

211 patients were submitted to percutaneous ultrasound-guided liver biopsy: 184 patients (87.2%) had only one focal lesion, the other 27 had two or more lesions. In 9 patients (4.27%) the material drawn out from the liver was not adequate for microscopic examination (Retrieval Rate 95.7%). Histological evaluation revealed: absence of neoplasm in 67 patients (31.75%), benign lesion in 29 patients (13.74%), primitive malignant lesion in 70 patients (33.18%) and metastatic malignant lesion in 36 patients (17.06%). Combining the histological data with disease manifestation, biopsy showed a sensitivity of 95.1%, specificity of 100%, positive predictive value of 100%, negative predictive value of 89.4% and a diagnostic accuracy of 92.4%. None of the most important complications described in literature was observed. Our study confirms that ultrasound guided biopsy is a procedure of high diagnostic value in patients with nodular liver lesions, advantageous for its simplicity, low cost and safety.

MeSH terms

  • Biopsy, Needle / methods
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Humans
  • Liver / diagnostic imaging
  • Liver / pathology*
  • Liver Cirrhosis / diagnostic imaging
  • Liver Cirrhosis / pathology
  • Liver Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Liver Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Ultrasonography