Image-Guided Percutaneous Biopsy

Image-guided percutaneous biopsy is a commonly ­performed interventional radiological procedure that plays an important role in patient care and management. It is a safe and effective procedure that is less invasive than surgical biopsy and can be performed using a variety of imaging modalities available to most radiologists. Increasingly, referring physicians rely on the expertise and skill of the interventional radiologist to obtain tissue specimens from organ systems within the abdomen and pelvis. Image-guided percutaneous biopsy is associated with low morbidity and mortality, and therefore it can be applied to patients who are too ill to undergo an operation. This chapter reviews the basic principles of image-guided percutaneous biopsy.