Ultra-sonically guided fine needle aspiration biospy in the diagnosis of focal hepatic malignancy

ABSTRACT

Seventy-two patients suspected of having hepatic malignancy were examined by real time ultrasonography using sonoline. Aspiration biopsy with an ultrasonically guided fine needle passed through the special linear array puncture transducer was done. Results were 91.2% diagnostic of hepatic malignancy by sole US examination and 97% diagnostic when fine needle aspiration cytology was done. Fifty-nine patients were cytologically diagnosed as HCC and eleven as metastatic deposits. Diagnosis was confirmed by follow-up of all patients. On the basis of the cytomorphologic features of the aspiration, primary HCCs were further subclassified into well, moderately and poorly differentiated. Cytomorphologically, these 3 types were clearly different and their features were distinctive from those of metastatic hepatic cancer. However, no relationship was found between the various echopatterns of the neoplastic lesion and its cell type or primary site of origin. Ultrasonically guided fine needle aspiration biopsy of focal hepatic lesions is a reasonably simple and stage procedure recommended for the diagnosis of hepatic malignancy, as it may obviate more invasive procedures