Transjugular liver biopsy: prospective evaluation of the angle formed between the hepatic veins and the vena cava main axis and modification of a semi-automated biopsy device in cases of an unfavorable angle

Eur Radiol. 2007 Jan;17(1):169-73. doi: 10.1007/s00330-006-0256-8. Epub 2006 May 9.

Abstract

In cases of transjugular liver biopsies, the venous angle formed between the chosen hepatic vein and the vena cava main axis in a frontal plane can be large, leading to technical difficulties. In a prospective study including 139 consecutive patients who underwent transjugular liver biopsy using the Quick-Core biopsy set, the mean venous angle was equal to 49.6 degrees. For 21.1% of the patients, two attempts at hepatic venous catheterization failed because the venous angle was too large, with a mean of 69.7 degrees. In all of these patients, manual reshaping of the distal curvature of the stiffening metallic cannula, by forming a new mean angle equal to 48 degrees , allowed successful completion of the procedure in less than 10 min.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Biopsy, Needle / instrumentation
  • Biopsy, Needle / methods*
  • Female
  • Hepatic Veins / anatomy & histology*
  • Humans
  • Jugular Veins
  • Liver / pathology*
  • Male
  • Mathematics
  • Middle Aged
  • Prospective Studies
  • Vena Cava, Inferior / anatomy & histology*