[Initial experience with thin-needle biopsy under ultrasonic control in diffuse liver diseases].

The authors used thin-needle biopsy (Westcott needle) under ultrasonographic control for the morphological determination of ultrasonographic pictures of steatosis in 37 patients. In the case history they reported alcohol consumption of more than 5 years above 60 g of absolute alcohol per day; mostly abuse of beer was involved (32.4%) and beer with liquor (43.3%). A sufficient amount of material for histological examination was taken in all 37 patients, incl. 8 during the second insertion. Histological examination revealed mainly large-droplet steatosis of the mild and medium grade (40.5%) and severe grade (21.6%). Of 37 ultrasonographic pictures of steatosis the latter was confirmed by histological examination in 34 patients (91.2%). The biopsies were made without algic reactions of the patients and no complications were observed. With regard to the non-pretentious, simple and safe character and the high yield of the procedure the authors consider thin-needle biopsy under ultrasonographic control a foremost operation which makes morphological assessment even of diffuse liver diseases possible.