Fatal bleeding after fine-needle aspiration biopsy of the liver

Ultrasonographic-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy has become a routine diagnostic procedure in the histological evaluation of both focal and chronic liver diseases. It is a safe and low-cost procedure that may be quickly and easily performed by radiologists and gastroenterologists. Severe and unexpected complications, of FNA biopsy, are rarely observed, haemorrhage being the most frequent and often fatal (1,2). This report presents the case of a patient with chronic liver disease who died of massive hemorrhage due to a FNA biopsy complication.