Percutaneous Needle Liver Biopsy in Infancy and Childhood

Chung, Ki Sup; Sohn, Young Mo; Yun, Duk Jin; Park, Chan Il

Abstract

Thirty percutaneous liver biopsy and one liver necropsy were reviewed in Severance Hospital, Yonsei University from June 1979 to September 1980. This procedure is the safe and accurate means of diagnosing and studying liver diseases in the pediatric patients especially persistent conjugated hyperbilirubinemia, chronic liver disease, and some rare diseases (eg. Histiocytosis-X, Storage disease disease, Gilbert syndrome), The significance of the technique and following results were obtained. 1. Among 31 cases, 14 cases were under 1 year of age 21 cases were male. 2. Evaluation of persistent neonatal conjugated hyperbilirubinemia, chronic hepatitis, Gaucher's disease, gilbert syndrome, congenital hepatic fibrosis, portal hypertension, and Histiocytosis-X were possible by the pathologic findings of percutaneous liver biopsy speciments. 3. Pathologic findings of 10 cases of neonatal conjugated hyperbilirubinemia are Giant cell hepatitis (4), acute hepatitis (1), acute fulminant hepatitis (1), extrahepatic biliary atresia (2), intra hepatic biliary hypoplasia (2), and hepatic fibrosis (1), Causative agents are hepatitis virus B (4), toxoplasma gondii (2), herpes simplex (1), syphilis (1), unknown (2). 4. One case of acute fullminent hepatitis due to herpes simplex was confirmed by electronmicroscopic study of the specimen. 5. One case of tuberculous empyema of the liver was confirmed by the discovery of tuberculi bacilus on the direct smear of the biopsy speciments, although the pathologic findings showed non specific findings of reactive hepatitis. 6. There was nonspecific information in systemic disease and hepatomegaly with fever of unko\nown origine. 7. There was no complication in 30 cases of percutaneous liver biopsy.