An interventional study of Group one - percutaneous (P) and Group two - EUS FNB (E) in Liver Disease Parenchymal, sponsored by Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy. Recruiting at 1 site in Romania. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-05-07.
Sponsored by Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy · Not applicable, Interventional, and Diagnostic
This is a randomized comparative trial between percutaneous liver biopsy and EUS FNB guided liver biopsy in patients with parenchymal liver disease.
Studies so far have been shown that EUS FNB guided liver biopsy is non inferior to percutaneous liver biopsy in terms of efficacy, provided several conditions are met (type of needle, wet suction, actuations).
În terms of safety, it may be that EUS FNB have an advantage, as needle diameter is slightly smaller, needle is inserted under better visualisation especially in patients with large subcutaneous fat tissue and the possibility of examining the needle tract and plugging it with needle content if needed ("the blood patch technique").
However, although severe, the incidence of liver bleeding is low, so a comparative trial with the hypothesis that EUS FNB has fewer liver bleedings than percutaneous techniques would have a very large sample size.
A recent study found out that abdominal pain at 2 hours after procedure is predictive for liver bleeding.
So we have design a randomized prospective trial assuming that EUS FNB guided liver biopsy has significantly less abdominal pain at 2 hours after procedure when compared to percutaneous route, using abdominal pain at 2 hours as a surrogate marker for risk of liver bleeding.
Why liver biopsy? Parenchymal liver diseases need sometimes diagnostic or staging assessment liver biopsy (eg. autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cholangitis, metabolic dysfunction associated fatty liver disease - MAFLD). Also, some focal liver lesions may need a diagnostic liver biopsy (eg. primitive liver tumors, liver metastases).
This can be performed percutaneously, trans-jugular and more recently trans-gastric or trans-duodenal under endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) guidance. The trans-jugular route was proposed for patients with coagulation disorders, as there is virtually no risk of bleeding, as the procedure is done within the supra-hepatic veins.
Currently, evidence exist that optimal results for EUS guided fine needle biopsy (FNB) are obtained by using a 19 Gauge Franseen FNB needle, by the heparin primed "wet suction" technique, with one or two passes (in both liver lobes), with at least 3 needle actuations [1,2,3,4]. Ensuring these conditions, the outcomes are non-inferior to percutaneous liver biopsy (length of the specimen, number of portal tracts, diagnostic accuracy).
So why choose EUS guided liver FNB? Two percutaneous liver biopsy adverse reactions are probably responsible for one's apprehension towards it - post procedure abdominal pain and the risk of liver bleeding. A recent meta-analysis [5] has found an incidence of mild abdominal pain at 12.9% and moderate-severe abdominal pain at 0.34%. The percentages for liver bleeding were 0.48% for major bleeding, 0.11% for major hematoma, 0.06% for hemoperitoneum and 0.01% for haemobilia (0.66% in total).
Bisonnette et al [6] have tried to find predictive factors for liver bleeding after percutaneous or trans-jugular liver biopsy. The only predictive factor was pain at 2h liver biopsy. This was more frequent following percutaneous than trans-jugular liver biopsy (33% vs. 15%; p \< .001). Out of all patients with pain 2 h after liver biopsy, 15% had a liver biopsy-related bleeding, while out of those without pain 2 h after liver biopsy, 4% had a liver biopsy-related bleeding (p = .002). Pain 2 h after liver biopsy had a 55% (95% CI 0.35-0.73) sensitivity, 75% (95% CI 0.70-0.80) specificity, and 96% (95% CI 0.93-0.97) negative predictive value for liver biopsy -related bleeding.
EUS guided liver FNB seems to be safer than percutaneous liver biopsy. Eleven studies so far on 632 patients who had EUS FNB with 19G Franseen needle report on post procedure liver bleeding and abdominal pain [7-17]. Abdominal pain was present in 7.7%. of cases (28 of 362 reported patients), while liver bleeding was present in 0.16% (1 of 593, as "bile leak").
If we we're to design a study to prove that EUS guided liver FNB decreases bleeding rate from 0.66% for percutaneous route to 0.16%, with a type I error probability of 5% and a power of 80%, we would need to include 5126 patients, that is 2563 for each arm in a 1:1 allocation [7]. This is a near impossible study.
However, as Bisonnette et al [6] have proven, pain at 2h after liver biopsy is predictive for liver bleeding. So, we only need to prove that EUS guided liver FNB significantly decreases abdominal pain at 2h after procedure as compared to percutaneous route.
So, to prove that EUS guided liver FNB decreases abdominal pain rate at 2h after biopsy from 33% for percutaneous method to 7.7%, with a type I error probability of 5% and a power of 80%, we would need to include 78 patients, that is 39 for each arm in a 1:1 allocation [7].
Question of the research project We aim to answer the question whether EUS guided liver FNB has a significantly lower rate of abdominal pain at 2h after procedure than percutaneous liver biopsy.
Hypothesis The EUS guided liver FNB has a significantly lower rate of abdominal pain at 2h after procedure than percutaneous liver biopsy, which probably translates in a significantly lower liver bleeding rate.
Patients will be randomly allocated in one of the 2 study groups, following a randomization list (www.random.org), as it follows:
Group one (P) - Percutaneous procedure will be performed under standard conditions, under transabdominal ultrasound guidance. After choosing the optimum needle trajectory, the skin site will be marked, standard skin sterilization with iodine and surgical draping of the site will be performed. Local anesthesia of the site with gradual lidocaine solution infiltration of the skin and underlying planes will be performed. Under ultrasound guidance, with collaboration of the patient for the respiratory movements, one or two passages with a 16G needle will be performed (BARD Max Core 16G, Becton Dickinson, USA). Specimens will be collected in formalin and send to pathology for processing.
Group two (E) - EUS guided liver FNB will be performed under deep sedation with propofol under anesthesiology monitoring. A 19G gauge Franseen needle (Acquire 19G, Boston Scientific, USA) will be used with the "wet suction" technique. Before inserting into the operating channel, the stylet will be removed, and the needle will be primed with heparin (500UI/5ml). After liver puncture, the 20ml aspiration syringe will be attached. Three needle actuations will be performed, one or two passes in the left liver lobe. At the end of the 3rd actuation, the syringe aspiration will be stopped, the needle will be left in place in the liver parenchyma for 2 to 3 minutes. The liver needle path will be examined with Doppler ultrasound to look for possible bleeding. If present, about 25% of the needle content will be pushed in the liver path, as previously described - the "blood patch" technique [19].
Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy is the lead sponsor of 25 studies on the registry; 9 are open to participants now.
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Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
A biopsy takes a small piece of tissue to examine. “Archival tissue” is a sample already taken, for example at diagnosis, and kept by the hospital.
Whether a stored sample will do depends on when it was taken, how much there is and what the study needs. Ask whether the study accepts your stored sample or needs a new biopsy.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Biopsy and archival tissue
A biopsy takes a small piece of tissue to examine. “Archival tissue” is a sample already taken, for example at diagnosis, and kept by the hospital.
Whether a stored sample will do depends on when it was taken, how much there is and what the study needs. Ask whether the study accepts your stored sample or needs a new biopsy.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Contraindication
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Percutaneous procedure will be performed under standard conditions, under transabdominal ultrasound guidance. After choosing the optimum needle trajectory, the skin site will be marked, standard skin sterilization with iodine and surgical draping of the site will be performed. Local anesthesia of the site with gradual lidocaine solution infiltration of the skin and underlying planes will be performed. Under ultrasound guidance, with collaboration of the patient for the respiratory movements, one or two passages with a 16G needle will be performed (BARD Max Core 16G, Becton Dickinson, USA). Specimens will be collected in formalin and send to pathology for processing.
Procedure: Group one - percutaneous (P)
EUS guided liver FNB will be performed under deep sedation with propofol under anesthesiology monitoring. A 19G gauge Franseen needle (Acquire 19G, Boston Scientific, USA) will be used with the "wet suction" technique. Before inserting into the operating channel, the stylet will be removed, and the needle will be primed with heparin (500UI/5ml). After liver puncture, the 20ml aspiration syringe will be attached. Three needle actuations will be performed, one or two passes in the left liver lobe. At the end of the 3rd actuation, the syringe aspiration will be stopped, the needle will be left in place in the liver parenchyma for 2 to 3 minutes. The liver needle path will be examined with Doppler ultrasound to look for possible bleeding. If present, about 25% of the needle content will be pushed in the liver path, as previously described - the "blood patch" technique
Procedure: Group two - EUS FNB (E)
Percutaneous procedure will be performed under standard conditions, under transabdominal ultrasound guidance. After choosing the optimum needle trajectory, the skin site will be marked, standard skin sterilization with iodine and surgical draping of the site will be performed. Local anesthesia of the site with gradual lidocaine solution infiltration of the skin and underlying planes will be performed. Under ultrasound guidance, with collaboration of the patient for the respiratory movements, one or two passages with a 16G needle will be performed (BARD Max Core 16G, Becton Dickinson, USA). Specimens will be collected in formalin and send to pathology for processing.
EUS guided liver FNB will be performed under deep sedation with propofol under anesthesiology monitoring. A 19G gauge Franseen needle (Acquire 19G, Boston Scientific, USA) will be used with the "wet suction" technique. Before inserting into the operating channel, the stylet will be removed, and the needle will be primed with heparin (500UI/5ml). After liver puncture, the 20ml aspiration syringe will be attached. Three needle actuations will be performed, one or two passes in the left liver lobe. At the end of the 3rd actuation, the syringe aspiration will be stopped, the needle will be left in place in the liver parenchyma for 2 to 3 minutes. The liver needle path will be examined with Doppler ultrasound to look for possible bleeding. If present, about 25% of the needle content will be pushed in the liver path, as previously described - the "blood patch" technique.
Post procedure pain at 2 hours after procedure
Post procedure pain at 2 hours measured by Visual Analogue Scale (0 - 10)
Time frame: 2 hours
Post procedure pain at 24 hours after procedure
Post procedure pain at 24 hours measured by Visual Analogue Scale (0 - 10)
Time frame: 24 hours
Proportion of post procedure liver bleeding
Proportion of post procedure liver bleeding = number of patients with (perihepatic fluid, hemoperitoneum, liver hematoma, hemorrhagic shock) divided by the total number of patients enrolled in one arm
Time frame: 7 days
Longest intact specimen
Length (mm) of the longest intact specimen removed by biopsy for one patient
Time frame: 2 hours
Aggregate specimen length
Sum of the length of all the specimens (mm) removed by biopsy for one patient
Time frame: 2 hours
Total number of specimens
Sum of the number of specimens removed by biopsy for one patient
Time frame: 2 hours
Proportion of specimens > 20mm in aggregate length
Proportion of specimens \> 20mm in aggregate length = number of patients with aggregate length of specimens (secondary outcome 5) \> 20mm divided by the total number of patients enrolled in one arm
Time frame: 2 hours
Total specimen complete portal tracts (CPT)
Sum of CPT for all specimens removed by biopsy for one patient
Time frame: 28 days
Proportion of specimens with > 11 CPT
Proportion of specimens with \> 11 CPT = number of patients with specimens \> 11 CPT divided by the total number of patients in each arm
Time frame: 28 days
Proportion of specimen with conclusive pathological diagnosis
Proportion of specimen with conclusive pathological diagnosis = number of patients with conclusive pathological diagnosis divided by the total number of patients in each arm
Time frame: 28 days
Plan to share: No
Started May 2024 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Dec 2024, 7 months after the start.
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Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy