Synovial Biopsy by Franklin-Silverman Needle

Kim, Jung Man; Moon, Myung Sang; Lee, Hong Sup

Abstract

Biopsy has proved to be of value in the diagnosis of many inflammatory and malignant diseases, and needle biopsy of the synovial membrane in arthritis is well established and often employed as the final diagnostic aid in patient with joint disease. Authors have carried out synovial needle biopsy in 76 joints with Franklin-Silverman needle used commonly in liver biopsy. The results obtained were as followa; 1) Of seventy five biopsies attempted, adequate amount of tiasue was obtained in 51 of 53 knee cases (96.2%), 11 of 14 wrists (78.6%). 3 of 5 elbows (60%), 1 of 3 ankles (33.3%). Adequate amount of tissue was obtained in 66 cases and the overall succese rate was 88%. 2) Histopathological diagnosis was made in 53 of 75 cases (70.7%). In 12 cases, correct specimens were obtained but proved to be incompatible with the diagnosis done by either clinical data or open biopsy. 3) Histopathological diagnoses were made in 25 of 35 cases of rheumatoid arthritis (71.4%) 14 of 18 cases of tuberculous arthritis (77.8%), 7 of 13 cases of degenerative arthritis (53,8%), 4 of 6 cases of suppurative arthritis (66.7%), 2 cases of traumatic arthritis (100%), and one case of villonodular synovitis (100%). 4) The complications resulting from this proedure were pare; mild transient hemarthrosis was found in only 5 cases We also discovered that for an accurate diagnosis multiple specimens should be obtained because otherwise the specimens were too small to interprete histopathologically. In addition we concluded that the success rate depended not upon the sorts of needle used but rather more upon the biopsy technique. Franklin-Silverman needle biopsy proved to be a simple, safe and reliable procedure for diagnosis of the synovial diseases in which conventional arthrotomy is inadvisable and other diagnostic procedures are inadequate.