Abstract
Percutaneous aspiration biopsy of the liver and the pancreas using a heparinized 22-gauge fine needle was performed under ultrasonic guidance in 18 patients with hepatic malignancy (17 primary carcinomas and a metastatic cancer), 13 with benign hepatic disease, 18 with primary pancreatic carcinomas and 5 with benign pancreatic disease. A new cell-block technique was developed to obtain good histological specimens for histological diagnosis by using egg albumin as the binding material. In this method, as egg albumin coagulates rapidly by being dehydrated with ascending ethanol, the tissue fragments are gathered tightly to prevent loss of biopsic material. Histological specimens were fixed in Bouin's solution or Zamboni's solution which weire good for various staining techniques, but fixation with 2.5% glutaraldehyde was best for preserving glycogen granules.
Histological specimens were obtained in 90.3% of patients with hepatic disease and in 95.7% of those with pancreatic disease. Correct diagnosis was made histologically on all specimens of hepatic disease and on 95.5% of specimens of pancreatic disease. This procedure has thus been proved as a very reliable method for small tissue fragments like fine needle aspiration biopsy.
