[Liver biopsy in surgery of the gallbladder]

Biopsy of the liver with the menghini needle was done as a routine diagnostic procedure during surgery in 581 cases. During earlier decades morphological changes of the liver could be demonstrated by that procedure in 80-100% of the patients. In contrast such changes could be found only in 55% of our cases; in 5,5% these changes were severe. From these numbers it should be concluded that liver biopsy during gall bladder surgery is not necessary as a routine procedure. If patients are selected for biopsy on the basis of history, ultrasonography, laboratory data and intraoperative microscopical liver findings this procedure is necessary only in 14% of the cases, complication rate being 0,09%. In this particularly selected group changes of the liver can be found in 90,4%, severe changes in 33% of the cases. Pathological changes of the liver are likely to occur in 65-91% of patients with complicated gall stone disease and/or accompanying diseases like diabetes, obesitas, alcoholism, or a history of hepatitis. In this particular group biopsy and histological examination during surgery seem to be indicated as it was the case before.