Safety of Pediatric Percutaneous Liver Biopsy Performed by Interventional Radiologists

Objective: National data suggest that pediatric percutaneous liver biopsy is increasingly being performed by interventional radiologists rather than pediatric gastroenterologists. The objective of the present report is to describe the safety and effectiveness of percutaneous liver biopsy performed by interventional radiologists in a large cohort of children and to compare the results with the existing literature on biopsies performed by pediatric gastroenterologists. Patients and Methods: The medical records of 249 children undergoing ultrasound-guided percutaneous liver biopsy by interventional radiologists were reviewed for adverse events and success of obtaining tissue. Two hundred ninety-four biopsies were reviewed. Results: There were no deaths. There were 2 instances of a 2-g or greater drop in hemoglobin following biopsy, neither of which was associated with clinical signs of hemorrhage. A small, asymptomatic pneumothorax quickly resolved without treatment. One patient developed Klebsiella sepsis 48 hours after biopsy. In all but 1 case, an adequate sample size was obtained. This low incidence of adverse events compares favorably with existing published reports of morbidity and mortality following percutaneous liver biopsy performed by pediatric gastroenterologists. Conclusions: Ultrasound-guided percutaneous liver biopsy performed by experienced pediatric interventional radiologists in a children's hospital setting is as safe and effective as biopsy performed by pediatric gastroenterologists.