Role of Liver Biopsy in Assessment of Radiologically Identified Liver Masses

• Published in: Digestive diseases and sciences 2022-01, Vol.67 (1), p.337-343
• Main Authors: Khalifa, Ali, Sasso, Roula, Rockey, Don C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biochemistry; Biopsy; Biopsy - methods; Breast cancer; Diagnosis; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Gastroenterology; Granuloma - diagnosis; Hepatology; Histology; Humans; Liver; Liver - diagnostic imaging; Liver - pathology; Liver cancer; Liver cirrhosis; Liver Cirrhosis - diagnosis; Liver Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Liver Neoplasms - pathology; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metastasis; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Metastasis - diagnostic imaging; Neoplasm Metastasis - pathology; Oncology; Original Article; Reproducibility of Results; Retrospective Studies; Tomography, X-Ray Computed - methods; Transplant Surgery; United States
• ISSN: 0163-2116; 1573-2568
• DOI: 10.1007/s10620-021-06822-9

Background Despite improvements in imaging techniques that have enhanced the ability to diagnose hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), histopathological evaluation of many other types of liver masses is critical. Aims To evaluate the utility of liver biopsy in patients with radiologically undiagnosed liver masses. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 293 consecutive patients who had a liver biopsy for evaluation of an undiagnosed liver mass between January 2014 and January 2018. Results Out of 293 biopsies, 246 patients were found to have malignancy (84%), including 210 (72%) patients with metastatic malignancy and 36 with primary hepatic malignancies (20 HCC and 16 others). In the 47 patients without malignancy, 17 patients had necrotic abscess/granuloma, 16 patients had normal histology, eight patients had hepatic fibrosis/cirrhosis without malignant foci, and six patients had benign tumors. The most common primary lesion in patients with liver metastasis was breast carcinoma (32/293, 11%), followed by colon and pancreas (31 (each)/293, 11%), and lung (9%) adenocarcinomas. Histopathological analysis confirmed the presence of metastasis in 165/200 (83%) patients with a history of oncological malignancy and in 45/93 (48%) patients who had no malignancy history. Conclusions In patients with a radiologically identified liver mass of unclear etiology, liver biopsy/histology made a diagnosis in 95% (277/293) of patients, including 84% (246/293) found to have an oncological malignancy. Liver biopsy/histology also identified malignancy in a high proportion of patients without known underlying cancer. We conclude that liver biopsy is valuable for evaluation of radiologically identified liver masses of unclear etiology.