J Korean Soc Med Ultrasound.  2002 Jun;21(2):91-96.

Safety and Effectiveness of Percutaneous Biopsy of Focal Splenic Lesions under Ultrasonographic Guidance

• Han HY
• Kim JH
• Shin KS

Abstract

PURPOSE: To evaluate the diagnostic yield and safety of ultrasound (US)-guided percutaneous needle biopsy for the diagnosis of focal splenic lesions.
MATERIALS and METHODS
US guided, automated needle biopsy using an 18-gauge cutting needle was performed in 11 patients, consisted of nine men and two women (mean age = 49 years), with focal splenic lesions detected on the CT or US. Six patients (55%) had multiple lesions while five (45%) had a single lesion. Two of eleven patients had splenomegaly. None of 11 patients had the prior diagnosis of extrasplenic or hematopoietic malignancies. The biopsy was considered successful if a specific pathological diagnosis was possible. The diagnostic yield and frequency of complication were retrospectively analysed.
RESULTS
Tissue adequate for histological diagnosis was obtained in nine (82%) of 11 patients, and no complications other than mild, localized discomfort occurred. Multifocal splenic lesions without splenomegaly in five patients were confirmed as Hodgkin's disease (n=2), tuberculosis (n=1), infarction (n=1), and hemangioma (n=1). All single lesion in four patients were proven as benign conditions including hamartoma (n=2), lymphangioma (n=1) and chronic organizing abscess (n=1), and only one of them with a large hamartoma received splenectomy while others did not receive further treatment. Although in two (18%) patients with multiple lesions and splenomegaly, no specific diagnosis was established by US-guided biopsy, malignant lymphoma and Hodgkin's disease were confirmed by surgery.
CONCLUSION
US-guided automated needle biopsy is a safe and valuable procedure that can provides a specific diagnosis in patients with splenic lesions.

MeSH Terms

Abscess
Biopsy*
Biopsy, Needle
Diagnosis
Female
Hamartoma
Hemangioma
Hematologic Neoplasms
Hodgkin Disease
Humans
Infarction
Lymphangioma
Lymphoma
Male
Needles
Retrospective Studies
Splenectomy
Splenomegaly
Tuberculosis
Ultrasonography