Does preoperative fine needle aspiration-biopsy produce tumor recurrence in patients following liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma?
INTRODUCTION: Liver transplantation (OLT) has been advocated for patients with carcinoma hepatocellular (HCC). A preoperative biopsy (fine needle aspiration biopsy) [FNA] facilitates preoperative diagnosis of adverse pathological factors: vascular invasion or histologicalic differentiation. But a biopsy may cause abdominal dissemination and be related to a higher incidence of recurrence. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From April 1986 to December 2003, we performed 95 OLT for HCC. We divided them in two groups: group A without FNA-biopsy (67.9%) and group B with FNA-biopsy (32.1%). RESULTS: We obtained the diagnosis of HCC in only 15 patients (57.6%). In two patients an OLT was avoided due to the presence of abdominal dissemination at the time of transplant. Recurrence incidence was higher among group B patients (5.9% vs 31.8%; P = .003) due to extrahepatic recurrence (2% vs 27.3%; P = .003). No differences were observed in morbidity or mortality. The two groups were homogeneous in epidemiologic
