[Needle biopsy of the liver in an internal medicine department]

The authors presents 1 129 liver biopsies done during 7 years in a service of general medicine. Three accidents has been encountered representing a 0,17% mortality. Histologically, 50% of patients presented alterations due to ethylism, 25% presented a normal liver picture, which can be a diagnosis argument; 20% presented various lesions, of which tuberculosis is predominant, as well as acute, parasitary or hematological livers. Only 5% of the histological pictures are ininterpretable. The liver biopsy done very early in the evolution of a disease is sometimes a diagnosis argument which superior to others, allowing the rapid installation of the necessary treatment.