Needle Biopsy of the Liver

During the past four years needle biopsy of the liver has been carried out at the Cincinnati General Hospital 403 times on 345 patients. There has been no fatality or hemorrhage severe enough to require blood transfusion. In 1947, we reported experiences with 195 biopsies made on 170 patients.1The present report serves to describe our experience to date, since, during the past year, 208 additional biopsies have been performed on 175 patients. The patient is prepared for the procedure by the administration of 50 to 100 mg. of meperidine hydrochloride N. N. R. (demerol®) hypodermically approximately one-half hour before the biopsy.2A liver extending 5 cm. or more below the right costal margin may be approached anteriorly or transpleurally. A smaller liver is approached transpleurally in' the right anterior or midaxillary line. In our group of patients, the transpleural route was used 328 times and the anterior