Value of liver biopsy combined with cholecystectomy

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Many authors value routinely performed liver biopsy concom itant with cholecystectomy as a procedure of great diagnostic importance in regard to diagnosis and treatment of liver disease. Without reason, fewer perioperative liver punctures have been performed since the beginning of mi nimal invasive surgery, even so, laparoscopic cholecystectomy provides an e qual opportunity for taking liver biopsies for diagnostic purposes. This st udy aims to determine the prevalence and extent of liver disease in patient s undergoing cholecystectomy for gall stone disease. METHODOLOGY: Within the pre-laparoscopic era, 565 cholecystectomies with co ncomitant liver biopsies were performed. The results were evaluated retrosp ectively. Serious pathohistologic findings were defined by the stage of pat hologic changes demanding prognostic and/or therapeutic consequences. RESULTS: One hundred and ten patients (19.5%) had normal liver biopsies. Se vere pathologic liver changes were diagnosed in 58 (10.3%). Taking all live r biopsies showing liver changes, prognostic and therapeutic relevance were represented in 52% of our patients. CONCLUSIONS: Having proof of the high rate of pathologic liver changes resu lting in liver disease we advocate liver biopsy in connection with cholecys tectomy as an important procedure, if open or laparoscopic surgery of the e xtrahepatic biliary tract is performed.