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.