Benign circumscribed lesions of the liver diagnosed by ultrasonically guided fine-needle biopsy.

Cytologic evaluation of aspirates obtained by ultrasonically guided puncture of circumscribed lesions leads to the diagnosis of a malignant lesion when tumor cells are detected. In the absence of tumor cells, it remains uncertain whether the focus had been biopsied correctly, since the histologic diagnosis of a benign focal lesion can only occasionally be made by means of cytologic smears. Cases are presented showing circumscribed lesions of the liver. With a cut-biopsy fine needle, small cylinders of tissue were obtained under ultrasonic guidance and examined after histologic preparation. In each case, a benign focal lesion could be diagnosed, proving that the observed lesion had been correctly biopsied.