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Plugged percutaneous liver biopsy using Tru-cut needle and coils: A retrospective study

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Indian Journal of Gastroenterology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Plugged percutaneous liver biopsy, though has been in use for many years, is being used more frequently in patients in whom percutaneous liver biopsy is contraindicated due to proven or probable bleeding tendencies. We report our experience with this procedure, its indications, efficacy, and complications in Indian population over 2 years.

Methods

A retrospective study of 127 consecutive patients who had undergone plug liver biopsy from April 2017 to May 2019 was done from the database maintained in our department. The indications, technical success, complications, and impact of histological diagnosis on the management of those patients were evaluated.

Results

A total of 127 biopsies were performed of which 68 were males and 59 were females, aged between 7 and 73 years. No procedures were abandoned; however, 13 cases needed ultrasonography (USG) guidance because of small size of the liver or presence of right perihepatic fluid. Out of 127 biopsies, none of the samples was inadequate and yielded adequate tissue for histopathological diagnosis. Seven patients required repeat study only because underlying liver disease was suspected clinically and the previous biopsy report had turned out to be normal. Histopathological examination in our study showed autoimmune hepatitis in 61, cirrhotic changes either hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) related in 40, veno-occlusive disease in 3, cholestatic disease in 2, and Wilson’s disease in 2 patients. The remaining 19 were normal. Complications occurred in 3 patients — arterioportal fistula, pneumothorax, and inadequate coiling causing mild hemoperitoneum.

Conclusion

Percutaneous liver biopsy followed by plugging of the tract with coils is a safe, easy, and effective method in patients with underlying bleeding tendencies, minimal ascites, and small liver.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Seth G S Medical College and K E M Hospital, Parel, Mumbai, 400 012, India

    Krantikumar Rathod, Hemant Deshmukh, Hariharaprakash Radhakrishnan & Dhaval Thakkar

  2. Department of Medical Gastroenterology, Seth G S Medical College and K E M Hospital, Parel, Mumbai, 400 012, India

    Sridhar Sundaram, Nitinkumar Ramani & Shobna Bhatia

Authors
  1. Krantikumar Rathod
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  2. Hemant Deshmukh
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  3. Sridhar Sundaram
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  4. Hariharaprakash Radhakrishnan
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  5. Dhaval Thakkar
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  6. Nitinkumar Ramani
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  7. Shobna Bhatia
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Contributions

Krantikumar Rathod — study concept and protocol design, study supervision. Hariharaprakash Radhakrishnan — collecting data, analysis of data, initial manuscript draft preparation. Hemant Deshmukh — critical revision of the manuscript for intellectual content. Sridhar Sundaram — critical revision of the manuscript for intellectual content. Dhaval Thakkar — collecting and compiling data. Nitinkumar Ramani — collecting and compiling data. Shobna Bhatia — study supervision.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hariharaprakash Radhakrishnan.

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Conflict of interest

KR, HD, SS, HR, DT, NR, and SJ declare no competing interests.

Ethics statement

The study was performed conforming to the Helsinki declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000 and 2008 concerning human and animal rights, and the authors followed the policy concerning informed consent as shown on Springer.com.

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The authors are solely responsible for the data and the contents of the paper. In no way, the Honorary Editor-in-Chief, Editorial Board Members, the Indian Society of Gastroenterology or the printer/publishers are responsible for the results/findings and content of this article.

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Rathod, K., Deshmukh, H., Sundaram, S. et al. Plugged percutaneous liver biopsy using Tru-cut needle and coils: A retrospective study. Indian J Gastroenterol 41, 424–429 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12664-022-01271-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12664-022-01271-2

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