Needle biopsy of the liver; general considerations

Needle biopsy of the liver provides concrete diagnostic information that cannot be as readily obtained in any other way. This report reviews 401 liver biopsies in 312 patients. THE MAJOR INDICATIONS FOR USE OF THIS PROCEDURE ARE: To determine the cause of an obscure liver enlargement; to establish the cause of jaundice; to distinguish between malignant disease and cirrhosis of the liver; to determine when hepatitis has subsided; and to evaluate the results of treatment. At times, systemic disease that has not been recognized by other means may be diagnosed by this technique. There is risk in performing this test, and the 0.25 per cent mortality in this series compares favorably with that reported from other clinics. Where the diagnosis by biopsy could be compared with observations at operation or autopsy, the correct diagnosis was made by biopsy in 85 per cent of cases. Greater accuracy was obtained by two or more biopsic examinations in one case then by single biopsy. In several cases in which surgical operation was considered, biopsic information made it unnecessary, and vice versa.