Hepatitis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Hepatitis, including details on hepatitis a, b, c, causes, symptoms.

The practice of percutaneous liver biopsy in a gastrohepatology day hospital: a retrospective study on 835 biopsies.

Actis GC, Olivero A, Lagget M, Pellicano R, Smedile A, Rizzetto M

Department of Gastro-Hepatology and Clinical Nutrition, San Giovanni Battista (Molinette) Hospital, Torino, 10126, Italy. actis_g@libero.it

The evolving role of liver biopsy has induced the formulation of several guidelines on its appropriateness. However, the great divergence among hepatologists is still unresolved. We report the 4-year activity of a day hospital of gastrohepatology in northern Italy. Between January 2001 and July 2004, 835 subjects (mean age, 43+/-12 years) underwent this procedure in our facility. Etiologically, in 465 (56%) and 157 (19%) patients, chronic hepatitis C and nonspecific elevated liver biochemical tests were the first and second indications, followed by chronic hepatitis B and suspected nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. On a purpose basis, procedures requested for staging (n = 578) and/or for diagnosis (n = 217) were identified. Among the former, 80% had the scope of staging chronic hepatitis C, and in 15% of these unsuspected superimposed cirrhosis was detected. Among diagnostic procedures, nonspecific raised liver enzyme level ranked first. Twenty-two percent of patients reported unwanted effects following the procedure. In conclusion, these data accord with indications expressed by international guidelines. The impact of liver biopsy on therapeutic decision-making needs to be studied further.

Published 6 September 2007 in Dig Dis Sci, 52(10): 2576-9.
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