PROSPECTIVE-STUDY ON THE INCIDENCE OF SON OGRAPHICALLY DETECTED HEPATIC HEMATOMAS FOLLOWING LAPAROSCOPY-GUIDED LIVER-BIOPSY WITH THE SILVERMAN NEEDLE

Background: A high incidence of hepatic haematomas detected at sonogra phy following percutaneous liver biopsy and laparoscopy-guided liver b iopsy has recently been reported. Patients and methods: Prompted by th is report, we carried out a prospective study on 71 patients aged betw een 20 and 79 years (median age: 51 years). The patients were examined by ultrasound prior to and following laparoscopy-guided biopsy with t he Silverman needle. Results: Only two of the 71 patients (3%) had a h epatic haematoma after biopsy. The haemangiomas had a maximum diameter of 2.6 cm, caused no pain, and disappeared again within ten days at t he latest. No therapeutic measures were required. Conclusion: The resu lts of this study indicate that laparoscopy-guided liver biopsy with t he Silverman needle is associated with relatively few complications.