Accuracy and risks of liver puncture biopsy in liver cancer examination

Liver cancer puncture biopsy is a common examination method and means to diagnose liver cancer. It can obtain tissue samples and use them for diagnosis through analysis. Its accuracy can reach 90%, but there are also certain risks.

Accuracy of Needle Biopsy for Liver Cancer

Clinical studies have shown that the sensitivity and accuracy of fine needle liver biopsy can reach about 90%. Fine needle liver biopsy uses a small amount of material, so there is about 10% false negative rate. Clinically, if liver cancer is highly suspected but the liver biopsy is negative, the diagnosis of liver cancer cannot be ruled out and close follow-up is still required. However, the false positive rate of fine needle liver biopsy is very low, that is, if the liver biopsy is positive, the accuracy is very high.

Risks of Needle Biopsy for Liver Cancer

The liver has a rich blood supply, so liver puncture biopsy may cause bleeding. If the tumor is huge, direct puncture may also cause the tumor to rupture. However, liver puncture is currently performed using fine needle puncture under the guidance of ultrasound examination, and the probability of complications is significantly reduced.

The main complication of liver puncture biopsy is bleeding, which mainly manifests as abdominal pain and intraperitoneal fluid accumulation. In severe cases, hypotension and shock may occur. In a few cases, the puncture damages the bile duct and may cause bile fistula, resulting in bile peritonitis. In very rare cases, needle tract implantation may occur, with a probability of no more than 2%.