A single-center experience: Liver biopsy results during a year

Liver biopsy is the gold standard method for the diagnosis and treatment of liver diseases. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the results of liver biopsies performed in a year in our clinic. In addition, we also aimed if these liver biopsies could reveal the etiology of liver disease in patients with elevations of transaminases or/and alkaline phosphatase levels or liver masses.

Patients who had liver biopsies for persistently elevated transaminases or/and alkaline phosphatase levels, protocol biopsies after liver transplantation, or liver masses in our hepatology clinic between 2011 and 2012 were included in the study. Liver biopsy decisions were made by experts during the hepatology council. Liver biopsies were previously performed using classical percutaneous liver biopsy or ultrasonography-guided Sonocan^® liver biopsy sets. The pathology results of liver biopsies and clinical data of the matching patients were obtained from the liver biopsy record archives and patient files, respectively.

Totally, 479 liver biopsy results (male=252, 52.6%, mean age 49±14.5 years) were evaluated in the study. Of these patients, 432 (male=228) underwent percutaneous liver biopsy and 47 (male=24) underwent Sonocan^® needle biopsy. The most common histopathologic diagnoses in the percutaneous liver biopsy group were chronic hepatitis B (n=127, 29.4%), normal histopathological findings (n=50, 11.6% and 32 of them were protocol biopsies after liver transplantation), and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH, n=41, 9.5%). The most common histopathologic diagnoses in the Sonocan^® group were 25 liver metastasis out of 29 liver tumors (n=25, 53.2% of all) chronic hepatitis B (n=5, 10.6%), and NASH (n=3, 6.4%).

In this study, diversity in liver biopsy results indicates the importance of histopathological evaluation. The most prevalent pathology in the liver biopsies was chronic hepatitis B, which is the most common chronic liver disease in Turkey. The metastatic liver tumor was the most common among the liver masses.