Traumatic Hemobilia: A Complication of Percutaneous Liver Biopsy

role of percutaneous liver biopsy

Role of Percutaneous Liver Biopsy

We read the interesting study by Szymczak et al. (1) regarding the safety and effectiveness of a blind per-cutaneous liver biopsy, where they concluded that the failure rate and the risk of complications are low if indications and contraindications are carefully considered. Moreover, these authors emphasize how important it is that biopsies are performed by skilled and experienced operators. Th...

Morbidity after percutaneous liver biopsy.

The safety of percutaneous liver biopsy with a 1.2 mm Menghini needle in infants aged one year or less was investigated. One hundred and eighty four procedures performed from 1975 to 1985 were reviewed. There were no deaths or major complications within 48 hours associated with the procedure. In five instances specific complications occurred: a drop in haemoglobin concentration (three), transie...

Hemoperitoneum after percutaneous liver biopsy

Percutaneous liver biopsy (PLB) is an in or out-patient procedure diffused in most hospitals. A particularely elevate number of biopsies in our area depends on endemic infection by hepatitis B and C viruses. Nowadays it is a very safe procedure, and the actual risk of bleeding is estimated to range between 0.04 and 0.16% in nonmalignant disease 1. Major bleeding generally requires a prompt surg...

Fatal Complication in Percutaneous Needle Biopsy of the Lung

The danger of percutaneous needle biopsy of the lung has been emphasized by the recent report of two additional fatal cases.' The authors review the published fatalities in the English literature, pointing out that they have occurred, except in one case,2 after the use of cutting needles. We have published our own results3 in 18 patients submitted to biopsy with the high speed trephine presente...