Transjugular biopsy of the liver with an automated device.

PURPOSE

To evaluate the results of transjugular liver biopsies conducted with an automated device.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Transjugular liver biopsies were conducted on 37 patients. The principal indication was coagulation disorders. The biopsies were performed with a 1.3-mm automated device. Each patient underwent three biopsies: anterior, lateral and posterior. A fourth biopsy was conducted if the first three did not produce at least one core sample that was sufficient for the histologic diagnosis.

RESULTS

Transjugular liver biopsy was successful in all 37 patients. We performed a mean of 3.06 punctures per patient (average 2.86 samples). The length of the samples varied from 5 to 23 mm (mean 13.6 mm). Biopsy specimens were useful for histologic diagnosis in 97% of the cases. No serious complications were caused by the procedure.

CONCLUSION

The transjugular liver biopsy technique is an efficient way of obtaining tissue samples. The procedure shows a high success ratio and a low complication rate.