Blind Percutaneous Needle Liver Biopsy: Still the Gold Standard Method in Diagnosing Chronic Liver Diseases

Abstract

ercutaneous liver biopsies were done for 55 patients in 2 central hospitals in Kirkuk &Sulaimaneyah in Iraq. The patients were 40 males & 15 females. The clinical conditionsfor which liver biopsies were indicated included liver cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis, livertumors, undiagnosed hepatomegaly, fatty liver & pyrexia of unknown origin (PUO).Thediagnostic accuracy in reaching the final diagnosis of chronic liver disease was more than 50% incases of cirrhosis & 100% in the other causes, although the number of those cases were small todraw accurate conclusions. The complications included only a minor complication in only onecase, without major complications or deaths.