Fine-Needle Aspiration of the Liver

Daniel VanderHart, DVM, DACVR

Clifford R. Berry, DVM, DACVR, University of Florida

ArticleLast Updated May 20141 min readPeer Reviewed
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Fine-Needle Aspiration

Liver cytology via fine-needle aspiration (FNA) has been shown effective in diagnosing some liver disorders; however, cytologic examination of the liver does have limitations and must be interpreted within the context of the clinical picture.1-5

FNA is a relatively low-risk procedure that usually can be performed without sedation or general anesthesia. Contraindications for liver FNA include coagulopathies, lack of a safe access route (eg, vascular structure in the biopsy path), inexperience on the part of the sonographer, and an uncooperative patient.

Related Article: Liver Ultrasound-Guided Fine-Needle Aspiration

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Step-by-Step: Ultrasound-Guided Fine-Needle Aspiration Cytology of the Liver



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STEP 1

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STEP 1

Prepare the area. If the patient is not already clipped, clip and clean the sampling area; consider a surgical scrub if the skin is particularly dirty or a sample will be submitted for culture. Remove ultrasound gel applied to the area, as it can create an artifact on the slide to be viewed by the pathologist.

Leave the area wet with alcohol or liquid (not jelly) lidocaine as a contact medium for the ultrasound transducer. Clean the transducer by placing an alcohol gauze sponge on the transducer tip while preparing the patient.