[Hepatic biopsy in acute leukemia]

In 25 patients with acute leukemia that presented chantes in liver function tests, 29 liver biopsies were done by percutaneous needle or peritoneoscopy and directed needle, to determine the nature of the lesion. In one case leukemic infiltration was found; 16 patients showed nonspecific lesions, one, granulomatous hepatitis, one, viral hepatitis; one showed no changes in the biopsy. In these twenty cases the treatment was not modified, the survival time was from 15 to 57 months (median 25 months), and 14 an still in remission. Five patients (20%) showed drug-induced hepatitis; in these it was necessary to modify to chemotherapy, the survival time in four cases was 2 to 9.6 months (median 4.8 months) and one is still in remission after 36 months of treatment. It is concluded that hepatic biopsy may be very useful in evaluating the undesirable effects of treatment of acute leukemia and in making therapeutic decisions. The risks of this procedure and the contraindications are similar in patients with acute leukemia and those with other diseases.