Fatal intrahepatic hemorrhage after percutaneous liver biopsy using a Menghini needle: a rare but real complication.

Serious intrahepatic hemorrhage with hemoperitoneum after percutaneous liver biopsy is a rare but potentially fatal complication. This paper describes a fatality following liver biopsy with a Menghini needle, the first to our knowledge occurring without pre-existing liver disease. The bleeding was thought to result from laceration of dilated vessels near the periphery of the liver, a condition which cannot be predicted by any means presently available. One should be cognizant of the fact that although percutaneous liver biopsy is an extremely safe procedure in competent hands, it nevertheless carries a very definite risk and should neither be used injudiciously nor taken lightly. This case should serve as a reminder of this fact.