Fine-needle aspiration biopsy of liver focal lesions ultrasonically guided with a real-time probe. Report on 126 cases.

Ultrasonically guided fine-needle biopsy of focal liver lesions was performed in 126 patients to obtain a definitive diagnosis. Percutaneous target puncture and tissue aspiration were guided by a real-time linear-array probe with a central canal for needle insertion. The procedure is simple and rapidly performed; a correct cytological diagnosis was established in 94% of the punctured masses. No adverse reactions of clinical significance were observed. Fine-needle biopsy with ultrasound guidance by real-time scanning may be the procedure of choice to obtain a tissue diagnosis in patients with hepatic masses.