AJR Your Link to CME
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Dodd, G. D.
Right arrow Articles by Carr, B. I.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Dodd, G. D., 3d
Right arrow Articles by Carr, B. I.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?

American Journal of Roentgenology, Vol 161, 229-233, Copyright © 1993 by American Roentgen Ray Society

ARTICLES

Percutaneous biopsy of portal vein thrombus: a new staging technique for hepatocellular carcinoma

GD Dodd 3d and BI Carr
Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Presbyterian University Hospital, Pittsburgh 15213.

OBJECTIVE. Accurate staging of hepatocellular carcinoma is necessary to determine appropriate treatment. In particular, neoplastic invasion of the portal vein is a contraindication for hepatic resection or transplantation. Unfortunately, imaging cannot always differentiate benign from malignant portal vein thrombi. We therefore undertook a study to determine the efficacy and safety of sonographically guided percutaneous biopsy of portal vein thrombi as a staging technique for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. SUBJECTS AND METHODS. We performed percutaneous biopsy of portal vein thrombi in 12 men and two women (43-76 years old) who were being considered for hepatic resection or transplantation. All of the patients had hepatic cirrhosis and 13 had histologically proved intrahepatic hepatocellular carcinoma. Biopsies were performed under continuous color Doppler sonographic guidance by using 20-gauge aspiration needles with occlusive stylets. Each needle was positioned with its tip embedded in the thrombus before the stylet was removed. During aspiration, the needle was carefully controlled to keep its tip within the lumen of the portal vein. To evaluate for possible false-positive results, an additional identical needle was passed in and out of only the hepatic parenchyma in five patients. RESULTS. Adequate specimens were obtained in all 14 patients. Twelve specimens contained malignant hepatocytes, and two contained benign thrombi. One of the benign thrombi in a patient who had a 3-cm hepatocellular carcinoma of the parenchyma was confirmed by examining the resected liver after transplantation. The other patient who had a benign thrombus had no clinical or imaging evidence of hepatocellular carcinoma. No complications associated with biopsy occurred. None of the control needles contained hepatocytes. The patients' discomfort during biopsy was approximately the same as the discomfort experienced during previous liver biopsies. The average length of the procedure was 20 min. CONCLUSION. Sonographically guided percutaneous biopsy of portal vein thrombi is a safe, accurate, useful, and well-tolerated diagnostic procedure for the staging of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?




HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1993 by the American Roentgen Ray Society.