Abstract

CARRERA ALONSO, E. et al. A prospective study about the usefulness of ultrasonographic monitoring after invasive liver procedures: liver biopsy and fine-needle aspiration (FNA). Rev. esp. enferm. dig. [online]. 2007, vol.99, n.3, pp.128-131. ISSN 1130-0108.

Objective: to determine the need to perform ultrasound scans to all patients after liver biopsy or fine-needle aspiration (FNA) in order to detect complications with or without symptoms. Material and methods: after liver biopsy or FNA using a regular protocol the patient is observed for 24 hours at the hospital, and all patients undergo an abdominal sonography at that time even in the absence of evident complications. Results: 298 liver biopsies and 98 FNAs were performed. There were complications in 37 patients (9.34%): 36 (9.09%) were minor complications such as pain, vasovagal episodes, or small bleeding, and 1 (0.25%) was a major complication with severe hemorrhage. Only 1 out of all 396 procedures had a complication detected by ultrasounds (intrahepatic hematoma) while the patient was asymptomatic. Conclusions: the low incidence of complications occurring without symptoms, and their favorable course suggest that routine ultrasonography is not necessary after these techniques, and that it should be only performed when a complication is suspected.

Keywords : Liver biopsy; Fine-needle biopsy; Complications; Ultrasound.

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