RESUMO
PURPOSE: To analyze the safety and accuracy of ultrasound-guided (USG) percutaneous needle biopsy of the spleen. METHODS: Sixty-two USG needle biopsies performed in 52 patients were retrospectively analyzed: there were 53 biopsies of local lesions and 9 biopsies of diffuse lesions. Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) was performed in 37 cases and core-needle biopsy (CNB) in 25 cases. The complications and diagnostic accuracy of the 2 types of biopsy were compared. RESULTS: Two patients (3.8%) had postprocedural hemorrhage after CNB; one was minor, and the other severe, requiring splenectomy. No bleeding occurred with FNA. The diagnostic accuracy was similar with FNA (86.5%) and CNB (92%), whereas in patients with lymphoma, accuracy of FNA (80%) tended to be lower than that of CNB (100%), although the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: USG needle biopsy is safe and effective for diagnosing both focal and diffuse splenic lesions. The risk of bleeding may be lower with FNA than with CNB.
