FATAL HEMORRHAGE FOLLOWING LIVER-BIOPSY IN PATIENTS WITH HIV-INFECTION

A retrospective review of all 248 liver biopsies performed in patients with HIV infection at two referral centres in London over a 12 year p eriod revealed five cases of major bleeding following biopsy, with fou r deaths. The risk of major bleeding was 2.0%, and mortality was 1.6% following liver biopsy. The risk of bleeding was much higher than in p ublished series of biopsies done in patients without HIV infection, ow ing in part to the high prevalence of thrombocytopaenia and clotting a bnormalities in patients with HIV infection. HIV infection per se may also increase the risk of bleeding following liver biopsy.