Hepatic biopsy is a safe procedure. Its findings contribute to precise diagnoses and in selecting or modifying the treatment of some patients with liver diseases.

AIM:

To analyze indications, findings and complications of hepatic biopsy.

MATERIAL AND METHODS:

Retrospective study of patients with hepatic disease in which a hepatic biopsy was obtained. Information pertaining to clinical characteristics, biopsy indications and its results were collected. All tissue samples were stained with hematoxylin-eosin, Masson and Perl. The analysis was performed by descriptive statistics, chi 2 test and the Fisher exact test.

RESULTS:

There were 54.6 were women and 45.4 were men.

In 361 patients the major diagnoses were:

Hepatic cirrhosis 19.1, hepatic metastases 16.3, chronic hepatitis 11.6, alcoholic hepatitis 11.1 and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis 9.7. In 66.2 of the biopsies were preformed meanwhile patients were in the Hospital. The procedure was ultrasound-assisted in 76. There were major complications in 1.4.

CONCLUSION:

The hepatic disease is more common in the woman and the pathologic results show that the etiology of liver diseases in our hospital are similar to reports of third level hospitals in Mexico, its major complications were fewer.