The most common major complication of biopsy of a solid abdominal organ is which?

The most common major complication of biopsy of a solid abdominal organ is which?

• A. Infection
• B. Perforation
• C. Hemorrhage
• D. Hematoma

Answer: (C)

Bleeding is the main risk when performing a biopsy of a solid abdominal organ because these tissues are highly vascular and a needle can injure intraparenchymal vessels. A hemorrhage can range from a small, self-limited bleed to significant bleeding that may require intervention or transfusion, which is why it’s considered the major complication. Infection after a solid-organ biopsy is relatively rare because the procedure is done under sterile conditions and the target tissue isn’t a contaminated space. Perforation of a hollow organ is also uncommon with solid-organ biopsy, since the needle is not traversing a hollow lumen. Hematoma represents bleeding into tissue and can occur, but the emphasis in the context of major complications is on bleeding that becomes clinically significant, i.e., hemorrhage.

Bleeding is the main risk when performing a biopsy of a solid abdominal organ because these tissues are highly vascular and a needle can injure intraparenchymal vessels. A hemorrhage can range from a small, self-limited bleed to significant bleeding that may require intervention or transfusion, which is why it’s considered the major complication.

Infection after a solid-organ biopsy is relatively rare because the procedure is done under sterile conditions and the target tissue isn’t a contaminated space. Perforation of a hollow organ is also uncommon with solid-organ biopsy, since the needle is not traversing a hollow lumen. Hematoma represents bleeding into tissue and can occur, but the emphasis in the context of major complications is on bleeding that becomes clinically significant, i.e., hemorrhage.