Real-Time Contrast-Enhanced-Guided Biopsy Compared with Conventional Ultrasound-Guided Biopsy in the Diagnosis of Hepatic Tumors on a Background of Advanced Chronic Liver Disease: A Prospective, Randomized, Clinical Trial

Abstract

We aimed to compare contrast-enhanced-guided liver biopsy (CEUSLB) and ultrasound-guided liver biopsy (USLB) in the diagnosis of focal liver lesions (FLLs) developed on a background of advanced chronic liver disease (ACLD). Between 2011 and 2019, patients diagnosed with liver tumors on a background of ACLD were evaluated for inclusion in the study. Patients were randomly assigned to the CEUSLB or USLB group. In total, 144 patients were randomly assigned to either CEUSLB (n = 79) or USLB (n = 65). Overall, in the CEUSLB group, the sensitivity was significantly better (94.74% vs. 74.6%, respectively; p = 0.001). Both the fragment length of the biopsy specimen and the single puncture success rate were statistically higher in the CEUSLB group (p = 0.022 and p = 0.0006, respectively). There was no difference in terms of major or minor complications (p = 0.682). CEUSLB is a feasible technique that increases the diagnostic sensitivity for liver tumors developed in ACLD.

Keywords: Advanced chronic liver disease; Contrast-enhanced ultrasound–guided liver biopsy; Focal liver lesions; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Ultrasound-guided liver biopsy.