Liver biopsy

In some situations, laboratory measurements do not provide enough information about the etiology of a specific liver disease When there is an unexplained and persistent elevation of LFTs, a liver biopsy may be needed to establish the diagnosis and to provide prognostic information. An accurate estimate of the amount of liver cell inflammation or death can only be made by liver biopsy.

Liver biopsies are used to:

• Determine the severity of liver disease
• Determine the amount of liver scar tissue due to cirrhosis
• Clarify the cause of liver disease if blood tests do not provide a definite diagnosis
• Allow a recommendation for treatment with Interferon

Most patients have a liver biopsy done as an outpatient procedure with a three to six hour post-biopsy observation period. Patients with an abnormally prolonged prothrombin time are excluded from having a liver biopsy due to the risk of bleeding. The liver is palpated, and the skin area around the puncture site is prepped. A local anesthetic is injected into the skin. Intravenous sedation may be given to help the patient relax; however, it is important that the patient be alert enough to comply with breathing instructions during the procedure. The patient is asked to hold his or her breath while a large diameter needle is inserted into the liver to obtain a specimen of liver tissue by aspiration.

Complications of liver biopsy include pain at the biopsy site or pain radiating to the right shoulder due to pressure on the liver capsule. Mild bleeding usually occurs at the puncture site, and within the liver, a hematoma forms that resolves by itself. In some patients, more severe bleeding may occur within the liver, into the biliary system, or into the abdominal cavity. Patients are closely monitored during the post biopsy period for signs of bleeding. Other complications include puncture of nearby organs, such as the lung, gallbladder, and intestine, and infection at the biopsy site.

Please visit HepNet's site to learn more about liver biopsy

Look for the answer to this question. According to the text above, a contraindication to liver biopsy is an abnormally long prothrombin time. According to the HepNet article, what is another contraindication to liver biopsy?

Please visit this Web Path site to inspect a normal liver biopsy specimen