Single centre experience of transjugular liver biopsy in 152 patients

• Published in: Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore Vol. 43; no. 3; p. 160
• Main Authors: Patel, Ankur, Gogna, Apoorva, Irani, Farah Gillan, Teo, Terence K B, Yeow, Tow Non, Jain, Deepak, Lo, Richard H G, Tay, Kiang Hiong, Tan, Bien Soo, Azhar, Rafay, Chang, Jason P E, Taneja, Manish
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore 01-03-2014
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biopsy - methods; Female; Humans; Jugular Veins; Liver - pathology; Liver Diseases - pathology; Male; Middle Aged; Retrospective Studies; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0304-4602
• DOI: 10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.V43N3p160

Liver biopsy is considered the definitive investigation in the diagnosis and management of liver disease. This study describes the experience of performing transjugular liver biopsy (TJLB) over the last 9 years in a local single centre.
A retrospective review of consecutive TJLB procedures performed at our institution was conducted. A total of 152 patients (74 males and 78 females), with a mean age of 47.4 years (range, 13 to 83 years) underwent a total of 154 TJLB procedures at our institution between March 2003 and November 2011. The principal indication for TJLB was severe coagulopathy in over 80% of patients. The technical success, number of passes, histological adequacy and complication rates were analysed.
The procedural success rate was 98.7% (152 out of 154 procedures). Adequate material for diagnosis was obtained in 149 out of 152 (98.0%) technically successful procedures. There was procedure related morbidity in 8 patients (5.2%) of which all but one were self-limiting requiring no further intervention. We also performed hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) measurements in 19% of patients at the time of TJLB.
TJLB performed at our institution is a safe and reliable technique in patients in whom traditional percutaneous liver biopsy may be hazardous. TJLB has a high technical success rate as well as a high diagnostic yield with a low complication rate. TJLB also has the added benefit of performing HVPG, which is of increasing importance in management and prognostication of chronic liver disease.