[Portal thrombosis and liver cirrhosis. Value of ultrasound-guided puncture-biopsy of the thrombus].

OBJECTIVES AND METHODS

Portal vein thrombosis which occurs in the course of cirrhosis, associated or not with hepatocellular carcinoma, can be either cruoric or neoplastic. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and the results of ultrasound guided biopsy of portal vein thrombosis in 21 patients with cirrhosis (20 men and 1 woman; mean age 66 +/- 9 years), who were hospitalized between May 1989 and November 1993. Ultrasound guided biopsies of the cirrhotic liver, of the portal vein thrombosis and, when present, of a hepatic nodular lesion were performed. The diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma was made if the histological examination of the hepatic and portal biopsy samples were positive or if serum concentrations of alpha-fetoprotein were higher than 500 IU/mL.

RESULTS

All portal vein thrombosis biopsies were successfully performed. No side-effects were observed. Before ultrasound guided biopsy of the portal thrombosis, diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma was made in 15 cases, and diagnosis of cirrhosis in 6 cases. After histological examination of the portal sample, hepatocellular carcinoma was diagnosed in 19 cases and cirrhosis in 2 cases. Thus, in 19% of cases, ultrasound guided biopsy of the portal thrombus provided a definitive diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

Ultrasound guided biopsy of the portal vein thrombosis must be performed before liver transplantation for cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma to exclude the presence of a vascular neoplastic extension.