Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Bleeding risks in dogs and cats after ultrasound biopsies
By Bigge, L A et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2001·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Correlation between coagulation profile findings and bleeding complications after ultrasound-guided biopsies: 434 cases (1993-1996).
Plain-English summary
A review of medical records from 434 dogs and cats who underwent ultrasound-guided biopsies found that about 22% experienced minor bleeding complications, while 6% had major issues. Pets with low platelet counts (thrombocytopenia) or prolonged clotting times were at a higher risk for complications. The study showed that biopsies of the liver were safer compared to those of the kidney. Overall, the procedure was effective, with adequate tissue samples obtained in nearly all cases, but veterinarians should be cautious and consider delaying the biopsy if a pet has low platelet levels.
People also search for: dog biopsy bleeding risk · cat ultrasound-guided biopsy complications · thrombocytopenia in pets
Abstract
Medical records of 434 consecutive dogs (n=310) and cats (n=124) that received coagulation studies prior to ultrasound-guided biopsy procedures between January 1993 and June 1996 were reviewed for bleeding complications. Minor complications occurred in 21.9% of cases. Major complications occurred in 6% of the cases. Significant bleeding complications were observed in thrombocytopenic cases (P=0.0001). Dogs with a prolonged one-stage prothrombin time (OSPT) (P=0.031) and cats with prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) (P=0.024) were more likely to have complications than patients with normal values. Adequate tissue for histopathological diagnosis was obtained in 96.3% of cases. The likelihood of complication was smaller when the liver was biopsied than when the kidney was biopsied (n=259; P=0.0327). Ultrasound-guided biopsy of intracavitary structures is an effective and relatively safe procedure, but delay of the procedure should be considered when thrombocytopenia is present in the patient.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11361113/