US-guided percutaneous liver biopsy in pediatric liver transplant recipients - PubMed (original) (raw)

US-guided percutaneous liver biopsy in pediatric liver transplant recipients

Soma Mandal et al. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2014 Jun.

Abstract

Objectives: The present study assesses the safety of ultrasound (US)-guided percutaneous liver biopsies (PLBs) within pediatric liver allograft recipients, describes the pathological results according to early (≤12 months) and late (>12 months) posttransplantation periods, and analyzes the value of liver function tests (LFTs) and Doppler US variables in determining these results.

Methods: A total of 219 US-guided PLBs in 85 pediatric patients with liver transplant (mean age 7 ± 5 years, range: 6 months to 18 years) performed between March 2005 and May 2012 were retrospectively evaluated at a single institution. Doppler US and LFT evaluation (including total bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, γ-glutamyl transferase, alkaline phosphatase) occurred within 1 day of early (n = 92, 42%) and late term (n = 127, 58%) posttransplantation biopsies.

Results: The rate of major complications (hemorrhage requiring blood transfusion) was 0.91% (n = 2). The early versus late term biopsy results, respectively, included: cholestasis at 36% versus 18% (P = 0.003), minimal changes 16% versus 24% (not significant [NS]), acute rejection 13% versus 5% (P = 0.027), inflammatory diseases 15% versus 15% (NS), indeterminate acute rejection 11% versus 7% (NS), chronic rejection 4% versus 14% (P = 0.017), fibrotic diseases 4% versus 12% (NS), and other 0% versus 5% (NS). Neither LFT nor US variables were correlated with pathological outcomes.

Conclusions: The rate of complications in pediatric patients after US-guided liver biopsy is low. A range of pathological results exists between early and late posttransplantation liver biopsies. LFT and Doppler US findings are not predictors of pathological results.

PubMed Disclaimer

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

LinkOut - more resources