Ultrasonically guided fine needle aspiration biopsy of hepatic and pancreatic space-occupying lesions and percutaneous abscess drainage.

Ultrasonically guided fine needle aspiration biopsy as a safe, easy and uncomplicated procedure permitted cytological diagnosis in 54 out of 57 patients (94.7%) with confirmed tumor infiltrations of the liver and in 25 out of 30 patients (83.3%) with sonographically localized space -- occupying tumor-suspect lesions of the pancreas, 22 of which were verified as pancreatic cancer by laparatomy or autopsy, 3 patients suffered from malignant lymphoma. False negative results were obtained in 1.8% and 6.7%, respectively. There was no false positive diagnosis of neoplasm. Ultrasonically guided aspiration biopsy thus appears to be an excellent method for verification of clinically or sonographically suspected hepatic or pancreatic tumors or such suspected by other procedures. 42 cysts or abscesses in pancreas and liver were punctured and drained in 8 cases, using a flexible catheter. The therapeutical management of cysts or abscesses under ultrasonic guidance may shorten hospitalization or avoid intraabdominal operation.