Liver biopsy
Liver biopsy involves removal of a small piece of tissue from the liver to evaluate for damage or disease. This diagnostic test is usually suggested when blood tests reveal high levels of liver enzymes or excessive iron. An inflamed liver may also need to be examined with a liver biopsy. Cases of cirrhosis or hepatitis may require liver biopsy to diagnose the extent of liver damage. A patient scheduled for liver biopsy will need to keep the physician informed of various medications that are taken, such as anticoagulants, ibuprofen and aspirin. It is necessary to fast for about 8 hours prior to the liver biopsy procedure. The patient may be asked to stay in the hospital for a few hours to observe for any signs of bleeding or other complications as as peritonitis or puncture of the gallbladder.Liver biopsy is done in the following ways:
Percutaneous liver biopsy involves use of special needle to make an incision through the skin, taking care not to nick any other internal organs.
Laparoscopic liver biopsy involves use of laparoscope to make a small incision in the abdomen. This aids the physician in taking a biopsy from a specific part of the liver.
Transvenous liver biopsy involves insertion of a catheter into a vein in the neck and guiding it to the liver. The biopsy needle is fitted to the catheter.
Kidney biopsy
A kidney biopsy is often recommended for those who notice blood in the urine (hematuria), excess protein in the urine (proteinuria) or progressive kidney failure. Kidney biopsy might reveal the causes for improper functioning or rejection of a transplanted kidney. If urine tests, ulrasound or CT scan reveal possible kidney problems, kidney biopsy can aid in determining the cause.
A patient undergoing kidney biopsy is given sedation through IV. The biopsy needle is inserted through the skin with the aid of ultrasound. A small sample tissue is taken for examination. There is likely to be mild soreness in the muscle and some blood in the urine for the next 24 hours. Serious complications include puncture of a major blood vessel or bleeding into the kidney. Abnormal results of kidney biopsy show signs of scarring or inadequate blood flow or signs of disease such as renal cancer. Patients with blood clotting disorder are not advised to undergo this diagnostic test. Obesity, UTI, hypertension are some factors that can affect the accuracy of kidney biopsy results.
Bone marrow biopsy
Bone marrow biopsy is a technique to remove a small section of the tissue from the body to study it under the microscope for any further analysis and tests. This test is recommended by doctors if they see an abnormal result in the complete blood count of a person or for examining any other regular disease that might be present in the bone marrow. Bone marrow biopsies are used to check for blood disorders like leukemia, certain types of anemia or problems affecting the bone marrow such as multiple myeloma or polycythemia vera. Besides they can throw light on any infections or cancers that are originating in the bone marrow. A bone marrow biopsy aids in studying abnormal appearance and numbers of red blood cells, white blood cells or platelets in conditions such as thrombocytopenia. It is essential to keep the health care provider of any medications that are taken. A local anesthetic is usually given to numb the skin. A sedative may be prescribed to calm the patient throughout the bone marrow biopsy procedure.
- Samples are usually taken from the hip bone after cleaning the area.
- A biopsy needle is inserted into the bone.
- Core of the needle is removed and the needle is turned in both the directions thus forcing a small sample of the bone marrow into the needle.
- The needle is removed from the site and pressure is applied on that area to restrict bleeding and the area is bandaged.
- There might some discomfort after the biopsy needle is removed as the anesthesia effect cannot reach the bone interiors.
- Bone marrow biopsy will take about 20 minutes and after the biopsy you may be asked to lie down for another 60 minutes to check for bleeding from the site.
Results of bone marrow biopsties are available after 1 to 3 days. Normal results are indicated by normal numbers of mature and growing bone marrow cells. Abnormal results of a bone marrow biopsy are indicated by abnormal appearance of normal numbers of mature and growing bone marrow cells and presence of fibrous tissue in the bone marrow. There may be special stains that confirm infection in the bone marrow.
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