Accuracy of ultrasound in the detection of liver fibrosis in chronic viral hepatitis

PURPOSE: To assess the accuracy of ultrasonography (US) in the identification and grading of hepatic fibrosis in patients afflicted with chronic viral liver disease, compared to histological examination as a gold standard. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively studied 105 patients (32 F, 73 M) affected by chronic viral liver disease in 36 months. Patients were studied with B-mode US and then underwent US-guided liver biopsy. All the patients were studied with conventional US with a Sequoia 512, 6.0 (Acuson, Mountain View CA, USA). We evaluated the following US parameters: liver margins, parenchymal echotexture, portal vein caliber and spleen diameter. The four B-mode US parameters were used for the US grading (from 0 to 4). Scheuer's grading (from 0 to 4) was used for the histological score. Grades 3 and 4 were considered as positive for fibrosis. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and accuracy were calculated in the case of absence, positivity of one or all the US parameters. The correlation between US and histological scores was evaluated with Spearman's test. RESULTS: At histology seventy-seven patients (73%) had absent grade 0 (1 patient; 1%), low-moderate grade 1 (35 patients; 33%) or grade 2 (41 patients; 39%) liver fibrosis. Twenty-eight patients (27%) had severe grade 3 (16 patients; 15%) or grade 4 (12 patients; 11%) fibrosis. In the case of absence of US parameters sensitivity was 32%, specificity 32%, positive predictive value 15%, negative predictive value 57% and accuracy 32%. In the case of positivity of at least one of the US parameters the values were 68%, 68%, 43%, 84% and 69%. In the case of presence of all the US signs the results were 25%, 100%, 100%, 79% and 80%. None of the 77 patients with a healthy liver or with low-grade fibrosis was positive for all the US parameters. All the patients positive for all of the ultrasonographic parameters had high-grade fibrosis or cirrhosis at liver biopsy. Correlation between B-mode and histological scores was not statistically significant (Rs=0.45; p=0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: US identification of liver fibrosis in chronic liver disease is possible with 25% sensitivity, 100% specificity, 100% positive predictive value and 79% negative predictive value, with an 80% diagnostic accuracy.     

Liver fibrosis: noninvasive assessment with MR elastography versus aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index

PURPOSE: To prospectively compare the sensitivity and specificity of magnetic resonance (MR) elastography with those of the routinely available aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) test for staging hepatic fibrosis in patients who have undergone liver biopsy for suspicion of chronic liver disease, with histopathologic examination as the reference standard. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was approved by the ethics committee. All patients gave written informed consent. Eighty-eight patients (37 men, 51 women; mean age, 54.0 years +/- 13.1 [standard deviation]) who underwent liver biopsy for suspicion of chronic liver disease underwent MR elastography and APRI testing within 2 days after liver biopsy. At histopathologic examination, the fibrosis stage was assessed according to METAVIR scores (fibrosis scores F0 [no fibrosis] to F4 [cirrhosis]). MR elastography was performed by transmitting mechanical waves within the liver and measuring the small cyclic displacement of the liver spins with a phase-contrast spin-echo sequence. The performances of MR elastography and APRI testing were assessed, and the optimal cutoff values for fibrosis stage were determined with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: At MR elastography, areas under the ROC curves (A(z)) for elasticity and viscosity, respectively, were 0.999 and 0.863 at fibrosis scores greater than or equal to F2, 0.997 and 0.962 at scores greater than or equal to F3, and 1.000 and 0.986 at score F4. A(z) values for elasticity at MR were significantly larger than those for the APRI (0.854 at scores > or = F2, P < .001; 0.886 at scores > or = F3, P = .003; and 0.851 at score F4, P = .004). Optimal cutoff values of elasticity were 2.5 kPa for fibrosis scores greater than or equal to F2, 3.1 kPa for scores greater than or equal to F3, and 4.3 kPa for score F4. CONCLUSION: Large A(z) values for elasticity (>0.990 for scores > or = F2, > or = F3, and F4) show that MR elastography was accurate in liver fibrosis staging and superior to biochemical testing with APRIs.     

Apparent diffusion coefficient measurements with diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging for evaluation of hepatic fibrosis

PURPOSE: To evaluate the use of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements based on diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) to assess stage of liver disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 31 patients who underwent both a liver biopsy and DWI and 132 patients who only underwent DWI were enrolled. Biopsy specimens were scored for fibrosis and necroinflammation according to the Knodell histology activity index (HAI). The 31 patients consisted of 21 patients with chronic hepatitis and 10 with cirrhosis (Child-Pugh stage A in nine and stage B in one), and the 132 patients consisted of 56 patients with cirrhosis (Child-Pugh stage A in 41, stage B in 10, and stage C in five), 42 with chronic hepatitis, and 34 with normal liver function. The ADCs in the liver parenchyma were measured using DWI with relatively low b factors (b = 0.01 and 128.01 seconds/mm(2)) and were compared among the HAI scores and among patients with cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis, and normal liver function. RESULTS: The ADCs decreased as the fibrosis score in the HAI increased, and the correlation was statistically significant (P < 0.0001). No relationship between the ADCs and the necroinflammation scores in the HAI was found. The ADCs decreased as the stage of liver disease progressed or as the Child-Pugh stage progressed, and these relationships were statistically significant (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: ADC measurements are potentially useful for the evaluation of fibrosis staging in the liver.     

Real-time elastography with a novel quantitative technology for assessment of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B

Background

The accurate evaluation of liver fibrosis stage is important in determining the treatment strategy. The limitations of percutaneous liver biopsy as the gold standard are obvious for invasion. Real-time elastography with conventional ultrasound probes and a new quantitative technology for diffuse histological lesion is a novel approach for staging of liver fibrosis.

Purpose

This study aimed to evaluate the value of real-time tissue elastography with a new quantitative technology for the assessment of liver fibrosis stage.

Materials and methods

Real-time elastography was performed in 55 patients with liver fibrosis and chronic hepatitis B and in 20 healthy volunteers. Eleven parameters for every patient in colorcode image obtained from the real-time elastography were analyzed with principal components analysis. We analyzed the correlation between elasticity index and liver fibrosis stage and the accuracy of real-time elastography for liver fibrosis staging. Additionally, aspartate transaminase-to-platelet ratio index was also included in the analysis.

Results

The Spearman's correlation coefficient between the elasticity index and the histologic fibrosis stage was 0.81, which is highly significant (p < 0.001). The areas under receiver operating characteristic curves indicating diagnostic accuracy were 0.93 (F ≥ F1, p < 0.001) for the diagnosis of liver fibrosis, 0.92 (F ≥ F2, p < 0.001), 0.84 (F ≥ F3, p < 0.05) and 0.66 (F = F4, p > 0.05), respectively.

Conclusions

Real-time elastography with a new quantitative technology for diffuse histological lesion is a new and promising sonography-based noninvasive method for the assessment of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B.     

Diffusion weighted MRI in chronic viral hepatitis C: Correlation between apparent diffusion coefficient values and histopathological scores

Aim of the work

To assess the utility of hepatic ADC of diffusion weighted MRI in the diagnosis of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C patients and to evaluate its relationship with both the stage of liver fibrosis and grade of necro-inflammation.

Subjects and methods

Forty patients with chronic viral hepatitis C and 30 healthy control group were examined by 1.5 T MRI scanner using DWI at b-values of 100, 400 and 800 s/mm². The mean ADC values of both patients and the control group were correlated to biopsy findings and graded according to METAVIR scoring system.

Results

The mean ADC values of the liver at all b-values were statistically significantly lower in the study group than those of the control group. A strong negative correlation was found between the mean ADC value and the stage of fibrosis. No significant correlation was found between the mean ADC value and the grade of necroinflammation.

Conclusion

The ADC value of diffusion weighted MRI can be used to distinguish between liver parenchyma of patients with chronic viral hepatitis C and healthy subjects and it is useful for estimation of the stage of liver fibrosis but not valuable in estimation of the grade of necro-inflammation.     

A comparison of MR elastography and 31P MR spectroscopy with histological staging of liver fibrosis

Objectives

Conventional imaging techniques are insensitive to liver fibrosis. This study assesses the diagnostic accuracy of MR elastography (MRE) stiffness values and the ratio of phosphomonoesters (PME)/phosphodiesters (PDE) measured using ³¹P spectroscopy against histological fibrosis staging.

Methods

The local research ethics committee approved this prospective, blinded study. A total of 77 consecutive patients (55 male, aged 49 ± 11.5 years) with a clinical suspicion of liver fibrosis underwent an MR examination with a liver biopsy later the same day. Patients underwent MRE and ³¹P spectroscopy on a 1.5 T whole body system. The liver biopsies were staged using an Ishak score for chronic hepatitis or a modified NAS fibrosis score for fatty liver disease.

Results

MRE increased with and was positively associated with fibrosis stage (Spearman’s rank = 0.622, P < 0.001). PME/PDE was not associated with fibrosis stage (Spearman’s rank = −0.041, p = 0.741). Area under receiver operating curves for MRE stiffness values were high (range 0.75–0.97). The diagnostic utility of PME/PDE was no better than chance (range 0.44–0.58).

Conclusions

MRE-estimated liver stiffness increases with fibrosis stage and is able to dichotomise fibrosis stage groupings. We did not find a relationship between ³¹P MR spectroscopy and fibrosis stage.

Key Points

• Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) and MR spectroscopy can both assess the liver.

• MRE is superior to ³¹ P MR spectroscopy in staging hepatic fibrosis.

• MRE is able to dichotomise liver fibrosis stage groupings.

• Gradient-echo MRE may be problematic in genetic haemochromatosis.

     

MR扩散加权成像评价慢性病毒性肝炎肝纤维化的临床研究

目的 探讨MR DWI对肝纤维化程度定量分析的能力.方法 应用1.5 T MR对12名志愿者、47例慢性乙型或丙型肝炎患者进行常规扫描及DWI检查,b值选择0、250、500、750及1000 s/mm~2,联合b值b_(250～1000)及b_(500～1000)分别取b=250、500、750和1000 s/mm~2及b=500、750和1000 s/mm~2的ADC平均值.采用Scheuer法进行纤维化(S)分期和炎症(G)分级,探讨病理分期与ADC值的相关性,采用Mann-Whitney U检验及Logistic回归分析评价ADC预测不同纤维化分期的能力.结果 当b=750 s/mm~2时,S0、S1、S2、S3、S4期纤维化下ADC平均值分别为(1.41±0.11)×10~(-3)、(1.37±0.09)×10~(-3)、(1.27±0.05)×10~(-3)、(1.26±0.04)×10~(-3)、(1.22±0.06)×10~(-3)mm~2/s,ADC值在不同S分期间差异最大(F=18.31,P<0.01).随着S分期的增加,各b值下的ADC平均值逐渐下降,两者存在负相关性,b_(250～1000)相关性最强(r=-0.727,P<0.01).选择b_(750)及b_(250～1000)、b_(500～1000)时,ADC值在S2期以上(与S0和S1相比)及S3期以上(与S0和S1相比)纤维化时均明显降低(P<0.01);在预测S2期以上纤维化时,选择b(750)时曲线下面积(AUC)最大(0.909),敏感性85.7%,特异性100.0%(ADC标准≤1.35×10~(-3)mm~2/s);在预测S3期以上纤维化时,选择b_(250～1000)时AUC最大(0.864),敏感性69.6%,特异性95.8%(ADC标准≤1.53×10~(-3)mm~2/s).结论 DWI对于预测S2期以上及S3期以上肝纤维化程度具有良好的效果,b值b_(750)、b_(250～1000)或b_(500～1000)均适合慢性病毒性肝炎患者的纤维化评价.     

Frequency-demodulated US: evaluation in the liver. Work in progress

Frequency modulated (FM) imaging is a new ultrasound (US) modality that uses pulse-echo signal instantaneous frequency in addition to the conventional envelope information. Eight features of the FM image in nondiseased livers are described. The technique is evaluated in a study of 34 patients with biopsy-proved diffuse liver disease. Visual grading of FM US image features shows good correlation with levels of biopsy-graded hepatic fibrosis. Patients with diffuse parenchymal liver disease often exhibit evidence of the abnormality when FM liver imaging is used, while such evidence is not as well demonstrated with conventional envelope (AM) imaging.     

Ultrasonography in chronic renal failure

Many chronic renal diseases lead to the final common state of decrease in renal size, parenchymal atrophy, sclerosis and fibrosis. The ultrasound image show a smaller kidney, thinning of the parenchyma and its hyperechogenicity (reflecting sclerosis and fibrosis). The frequency of renal cysts increases with the progression of the disease. Ultrasound generally does not allow for the exact diagnosis of an underlying chronic disease (renal biopsy is usually required), but it can help to determine an irreversible disease, assess prognosis and avoid unnecessary diagnostic or therapeutic procedures. The main exception in which the ultrasound image does not show a smaller kidney with parenchymal atrophy is diabetic nephropathy, the leading cause of chronic and end-stage renal failure in developed countries in recent years. In this case, both renal size and parenchymal thickness are preserved until end-stage renal failure. Doppler study of intrarenal vessels can provide additional information about microvascular and parenchymal lesions, which is helpful in deciding for or against therapeutic intervention and timely planning for optimal renal replacement therapy option.     

Is ARFI elastography reliable for predicting fibrosis severity in chronic HCV hepatitis?

AIM:To determine whether acoustic radiation force impulse(ARFI) elastography is a reliable method for predicting fibrosis severity in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus(HCV) hepatitis.METHODS:We performed a multicenter study including 274 subjects with HCV chronic hepatitis in which we compared ARFI with liver biopsy(LB).In each patient we performed LB(evaluated according to the Metavir score) and ARFI measurements(using a Siemens Acuson S2000TM ultrasound system:10 valid measurements were performed and median values were calculated and expressed in meters/second(m/s).RESULTS:A direct,strong,correlation(Spearman r = 0.707) was found between ARFI measurements and fibrosis(P < 0.0001).For predicting the presence of fibrosis(F ≥ 1 Metavir),significant fibrosis(F ≥ 2),severe fibrosis(F ≥ 3) and cirrhosis(F = 4),the cutoff values of 1.19,1.21,1.58 and 1.82 m/s were determined,respectively,liver stiffness measurements had 73%,84%,84% and 91% Se respectively;93%,91%,94%,90% Sp,respectively;with AUROCs of 0.880,0.893,0.908 and 0.937,respectively.CONCLUSION:ARFI measurement is a reliable method for predicting the severity of fibrosis in HCV patients     

Severe liver fibrosis or cirrhosis: accuracy of US for detection--analysis of 300 cases

PURPOSE: To determine the accuracy of various ultrasonographic (US) signs for assessment of the degree of liver fibrosis, with histologic results as reference standard. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three hundred consecutive asymptomatic patients with at least 6 months of increased levels of aspartate aminotransferase and/or alanine aminotransferase underwent liver US and biopsy. The estimated pretest probability of severe fibrosis or cirrhosis was 35%. Three US parameters were investigated: liver surface nodularity, caudate lobe hypertrophy, and pattern of hepatic venous blood flow. US results were compared with histologic results obtained after liver biopsy, which constituted the reference standard for diagnosis of severe fibrosis or cirrhosis. The degree of fibrosis was graded according to METAVIR criteria, with stages 3 and 4 considered together. Data were analyzed with kappa and chi2 statistics. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios, and posttest probability were calculated for each US sign. RESULTS: In 107 (36%) patients with severe fibrosis (n = 34) or cirrhosis (n = 73), liver surface nodularity had the highest diagnostic accuracy, with specificity of 95% and positive and negative likelihood ratios 11.6 and 0.51, respectively. When liver surface nodularity was considered alone, posttest probability of severe fibrosis or cirrhosis increased from 35% to 86%. When caudate lobe hypertrophy and hepatic venous blood flow were also taken into account, posttest probability increased by only 2% (ie, to 88%). CONCLUSION: US determination of liver surface nodularity is an accurate method for identifying the subset of asymptomatic patients with severe liver fibrosis or cirrhosis, which indicates a worse prognosis.     

Hepatic venography and wedge hepatic vein pressure measurements in diffuse liver disease.

Ninety patients with chronic diffuse liver disease were evaluated with free hepatic venography, wedge hepatic venography, hepatic vein pressure measurements, and liver biopsy. Free hepatic venograms were normal and minimally pruned in patients with hepatic sarcoidosis and fatty liver due to alcohol, and their biopsies showed little or no fibrosis. Pruning of hepatic vein branches on free hepatic venography correlated well with the corrected wedged hepatic vein pressure and with the degree of fibrosis in patients with alcoholic hepatitis, alcoholic cirrhosis, and postnecrotic cirrhosis. Free hepatic venography correlated better with hemodynamic measurements and fibrosis than did wedge hepatic venography. Free hepatic venography is a reliable predictor of the presence and degree of hepatic fibrosis and may be a useful alternative to liver biopsy in patients with clotting disorders.     

Acoustic radiation force impulse-imaging and transient elastography for non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis and steatosis in NAFLD

Background

Transient elastography (TE) and acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI)-imaging have shown promising results for the staging of liver fibrosis.

Aim

The aim of the present study was to compare ARFI of the left and right liver lobe with TE using the standard and obese probes for the diagnosis of liver fibrosis in NAFL/NASH. In addition, liver steatosis is evaluated using the novel controlled attenuation parameter (CAP).

Methods

Sixty-one patients with NAFLD/NASH were included in the study. All patients received TE with both probes, ARFI of both liver lobes and CAP. The results were compared with liver histology.

Results

57 patients were included in the final analysis. The diagnostic accuracy for TE measurements with the M-and XL-probe and for ARFI of the right and left liver lobe was 0.73, 0.84, 0.71 and 0.60 for the diagnosis of severe fibrosis, and 0.93, 0.93, 0.74 and 0.90 for the diagnosis of cirrhosis, respectively. No significant difference of results was observed between TE and ARFI in the subgroup of patients with reliable TE-measurement when taking into account the best results of both methods. However, while a significant correlation could be found for TE with histological liver fibrosis, the correlation of ARFI with liver fibrosis was not statistically significant. A significant correlation was found for CAP with histological steatosis (r = 0.49, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

No significant difference in diagnostic accuracy for the non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis was found for transient elastography and ARFI. Nevertheless TE significantly correlated with liver fibrosis while ARFI did not. CAP enables the non-invasive assessment of steatosis.     

肝脏实时剪切波弹性成像和超声量化评分评价恩替卡韦治疗慢性乙型肝炎肝纤维化疗效的研究

目的 评价恩替卡韦治疗慢性乙型肝炎肝纤维化的疗效,并使用肝脏实时剪切波弹性成像和超声量化评分对疗效进行对比分析.方法 选择在2017年10月至2018年3月本院收治的54例慢性乙型肝炎肝纤维化患者,对其进行肝脏实时剪切波弹性成像和超声量化检查,之后对患者实施恩替卡韦治疗,治疗周期为1年,治疗后再次实施肝脏实时剪切波弹性...     

Diagnostic value of apparent diffusion coefficient calculated with diffusion-weighted MRI for quantification of liver fibrosis

Aim of the work

To evaluate the diagnostic values of the hepatic ADC calculated with diffusion-weighted MRI for quantification of the hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic viral hepatitis.

Subjects and methods

Thirty-eight chronic viral hepatitis C patients with similar control group were examined by 1.5 Tesla MR scanner with diffusion gradient encoding in three orthogonal directions at b values of (300, 500, 700, and 1000 s/mm²). They were correlated to biopsy finding and graded according to Ishak scoring system. Hepatic ADC values were measured for both patients and control groups.

Results

The best correlation between ADC values and biopsy were seen at b values 300, 700, and 1000 s/mm², which showed high sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predictive values, with lesser correlation were obtained at b values of 500 s/mm². Cut off values between different grades of fibrosis were calculated and presented in the text.

Conclusion

ADC measured with DWI is a reliable non-invasive technique for quantification of liver fibrosis, and could replace liver biopsy in certain cases.     

Magnetic resonance imaging in chronic liver disease evaluated in relation to hepatic fibrosis--clinical and experimental results

In 21 patients with chronic liver disease, the ratio of liver to muscle signal intensity on T1-weighted images was negatively correlated with the progression of hepatic fibrosis defined according to findings by laparoscopy and liver biopsy, and differentiated six patients with early chronic hepatitis from eight with liver cirrhosis. On T2-weighted images, the number of low intensity nodules comparable in size to regenerating nodules surrounded by connective tissues showed a positive correlation with stage. When hepatic fibrosis with no necrosis or fat infiltration was induced in rats, T2 values were positively correlated with hepatic hydroxyproline content, though there was no such correlation for T1 values. These results suggest that MR imaging may be useful for determining the progression of hepatic fibrosis in chronic liver disease. T2 values may directly reflect hepatic fibrosis.     

Role of ultrasound and sonographically guided core biopsy in the diagnostic evaluation of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of ultrasound (US)-guided core biopsy in the diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and to correlate the histological results on percutaneous biopsy and surgical excision. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Out of 2,423 consecutive core biopsies performed under US guidance, we evaluated 65 lesions with a histological diagnosis of DCIS. All patients underwent mammography, high-frequency broadband US and percutaneous breast biopsy with a 14-gauge needle and a mean number of five samples (range 4-7 passes). Surgical excision was performed in all cases, and the histological results on the surgical specimen were correlated with those on core biopsy samples. The sonographic features of DCIS lesions were described, comparing pure DCIS (those confirmed by definitive histology) and DCIS with invasive component at surgical excision. RESULTS: Twenty-seven out of 65 DCIS at core biopsy were found to have an invasive or microinvasive component at surgical excision, leading to rate of histological underestimation of core biopsy of 41.5%. The most frequent sonographic appearances were: (a) mass without microcalcifications (47.4% of pure DCIS, 63% of DCIS with invasive component); (b) mass with microcalcifications (23.7% of pure DCIS, 22% of DCIS with invasive component); (c) isolated microcalcifications (10.5% of pure DCIS); (d) ductal abnormalities (18.4% of pure DCIS, 15% of DCIS with invasive component). CONCLUSIONS: Due to the high underestimation rate of core biopsy, caution is mandatory in the case of DCIS diagnosis on core biopsy. Although some histological features (such as stromal fibrosis, periductal inflammatory infiltrate, high nuclear grade) can suggest the presence of an invasive component, the sonographic appearance of DCIS cannot be used to predict the cases that are underestimated on US-guided core biopsy. Nevertheless, a sonographically detectable solid component, either inside dilatated ducts or associated with microcalcifications, and a size greater than 20 mm are frequently associated with the presence of an invasive component.     

Diagnostic value of Transient Elastography (Fibroscan) in the evaluation of liver fibrosis in chronic viral hepatitis C: Comparison to liver biopsy

Purpose

To assess the Transient Elastography diagnostic and staging role in liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C in comparison to hepatic biopsy.

基于NASH-CRN方案的130例非酒精性脂肪性肝病病理研究

目的 参照2005年NASH临床研究网络病理学会(NASH-CRN)评估方案,研究非酒精性脂肪性肝病(NAFLD)的病理特点.方法 对130例NAFLD的肝穿组织进行常规HE、网状纤维和Masson三色染色,观察分析NAFLD的病理改变.采用免疫组织化学染色排除其他非NAFLD肝病.结果 脂肪变性、肝细胞气球样变、小叶内炎症和纤维化发生普遍,脂肪变性以大泡型为主,肝腺泡3带为著,肝细胞气球样变发生率为94.6%,小叶内炎症多为轻度炎症.统计学分析示,脂肪变性与小叶内炎症、纤维化、肝细胞气球样变程度间呈正相关(r值分别为0.587、0.374、0.488,P均＜0.01).随脂肪变性、小叶内炎症、纤维化程度的加重,微肉芽肿、脂性肉芽肿和凋亡小体出现频率呈增加趋势.随气球样变程度加重,巨大线粒体和糖原核发生率明显增高(P均＜0.01).结论 在NAFLD的评估中,除脂肪变性、肝细胞气球样变、小叶内炎症和纤维化外,汇管区炎症也应予以重视.微肉芽肿、脂性肉芽肿和凋亡小体是否可作为NAFLD病情进展的组织学指标尚需进一步验证.     

Safety of percutaneous biopsy of hepatocellular carcinoma with an 18 gauge automated needle

Objective:

Accurate histological diagnosis and subtyping of hepatocellular carcinoma (hepatoma) is likely to be enhanced if a large biopsy tissue specimen is made available to the pathologist. However biopsy of this tumour can be dangerous, especially if the liver is cirrhotic and the lesion is superficial. This study evaluates the safety of an 18 gauge spring loaded side-cutting needle in the percutaneous biopsy of hepatoma in cirrhotic patients under ultrasonographic (US) guidance. Particular attention was paid to establishing the necessary length of needle track through interposing liver parenchyma to be certain of maximum safety.

Materials and Methods:

One hundred and thirty-nine consecutive biopsy procedures were performed on 129 hepatomas which belonged to 113 men and 12 women of average age 57 ± 15 years old (median 60, range 8 months-88 years). Ninety-six (69.1%) of these biopsies were performed in cirrhotic livers. The length of biopsy needle track traversing interposing liver parenchyma was less than 1 cm in two cases, 1 cm in 41 cases, between 1 and 2 cm in 46 cases and > 2 cm in 50 cases. The mean tumour size was 7.2 ± 4.5 cm (median 6.8 cm, range 0.7–25 cm). The average number of needle pass in each biopsy was 2.1 ± 0.8 times (median 2, range 1–5).

Results:

One hundred and twenty-six (90.6%) of the biopsy procedures were diagnostic of hepatoma. There were two cases of post-biopsy bleeding, both occurred in procedures with an interposing liver parenchymal track less than 1 cm in length.

Conclusion:

The biopsy technique described was found to be safe for diagnosing hepatoma in patients with or without liver cirrhosis provided that the length of interposing liver parenchymal track is not < 1 cm.