A real-world study evaluating ultrasound-guided percutaneous non-targeted liver biopsy needle failures and pathology sample-quality assessment in both end-cut and side-notch needles.

To determine biopsy device failures, causative factors, complications and sample quality of the 16G end-cut Biopince All ultrasound-guided non-targeted liver biopsies between 01/01/2016 and 31/12/2018 were included. Operator, device, number of failures, complications and repeat biopsies were recorded. Histopathology samples were reviewed for all cases of needle failure and a group with no failures, and graded "yes/no" for the presence of steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis. The pathology slides from these cases were reviewed to assess biopsy sample quality (length and portal tract number). The failure and no-failure groups were compared in terms of device type/histology, and sample quality was compared between the needle types. 1004 patients were included. 93.8% ( Ultrasound-guided liver biopsy is safe and sample quality is consistently good when a core >20 mm long is obtained. The end-cut biopsy device generated reliably good quality biopsy samples; however, the needle failure rate was significantly higher than the side-cut needle. Ultrasound-guided liver biopsy specimen quality is consistently good when a core >20 mm long is obtained which can be achieved with a single pass using the 16G Biopince