needle biopsy

Fine-needle biopsy, liver biopsy (if a sample of liver tissue is obtained), and pancreatic biopsy (if a sample of the pancreas is obtained).

• To confirm the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis and, if possible, establish its cause.
• To diagnose other liver disorders, including chronic hepatitis and cancer.
• To detect the cause of liver enlargement when less invasive tests fail to find a cause.
• To examine a suspected growth of the pancreas detected on a CT scan.

• For organs, primarily the liver and pancreas, that lie outside the digestive tract and cannot be reached with endoscopy, diagnosis can sometimes be made by extracting a tissue sample via a fine needle and sending it to a laboratory to be analyzed for signs of abnormalities, including infection, inflammation, and cancer.

• Do not consume food and drink for at least 12 hours before the test.
• You will be asked to empty your bladder immediately before the test.
• You remove your clothing and don a hospital gown.

• You lie on your back on a table, and local anesthetic is injected at the site of the needle puncture.
• The biopsy needle is inserted into the organ to be biopsied. Ultrasound equipment or a CT scan may be used to guide placement of the needle.
• You may be asked to exhale and hold your breath when the needle is inserted to reduce the risk of a punctured lung.
• Suction is applied to the syringe, and a thin wedge of tissue is aspirated (withdrawn) through the needle, a procedure that lasts about 1 second.
• The needle may be inserted at several sites to obtain samples from different parts of the organ.

• Pressure is applied to the puncture site to control bleeding, and an adhesive bandage is placed over it.
• Your heart and breathing rate, blood pressure, and temperature are monitored in a recovery area until it is certain you have no complications.
• You are instructed to stay in bed for 24 hours. If a liver biopsy was performed, you will have to lie on your right side for the first two hours.
• Consume only clear liquids for several hours, then full liquids for 12 to 24 hours.
• Nearly half of patients have pain after the test, usually in the right shoulder, which may last one to two days.

• Failure to fast before the test.
• Obesity.

The tissue sample is stained with various dyes and examined under a microscope. Abnormal patterns observed in the sample may be characteristic of various conditions, including infection, inflammation, and cancer.

It provides a tissue sample without surgery.

• It's invasive.
• It yields minute amounts of tissue compared with a biopsy performed during surgery. As a result, the abnormality or the part of the abnormality that is likely to be most revealing for diagnosis may be missed.

Possible surgical exploration and treatment.