Adequacy of endoscopic ultrasound core needle biopsy specimen of nonmalignant hepatic parenchymal disease.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The adequacy and diagnostic yield of hepatic parenchymal disease Trucut biopsy have not been determined. Therefore, our aim was to determine the adequacy of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided Trucut liver biopsy for histopathologic evaluation to include the number of complete portal tracts contained per millimeter of acquired tissue.

METHODS

A single institution retrospective review was made of 9 prospectively identified patients who underwent a transgastric left liver lobe EUS-guided Trucut biopsy during a 36-month period.

RESULTS

Adequate diagnostic material, to include complete portal tract number evaluation (median, 7) and connective tissue staining, was acquired to establish a histopathologic diagnosis in all 9 cases. Sixty-three complete portal tracts were established, resulting in 0.4 portal tracts per millimeter of tissue acquired. Findings established by EUS Trucut left liver lobe biopsy included mild steatosis (n = 4), cryptogenic cirrhosis (n = 2), chronic ductopenic biliary tract disease (n = 1), portal fibrosis with ductular proliferation (n = 1), and alcoholic cirrhosis with hemosiderosis (n = 1).

CONCLUSIONS

EUS-guided Trucut left liver lobe biopsy yields suitable aggregate tissue for diagnostic purposes to establish the presence of chronic liver disease.