Copper deposits in fine needle aspiration biopsies in primary biliary cirrhosis
Sipponen, P.; Pikkarainen, P.; Vuori, E.; Salaspuro, M.
Acta Cytologica 24(3): 203-207
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0001-5547 PMID: 6931464 Document Number: 163220
The occurrence of Cu deposits in liver cells obtained by fine needle aspiration biopsy from the livers of 21 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) was studied. Eight (38%) of these 21 patients showed perinuclear rubeanic-acid-positive deposits in fine needle specimens which were alcohol fixed and prepared using a filter technique. The density and frequency of the deposits increased with advancing hepatic injury and with increasing liver Cu concentration. Hepatic Cu deposits in advanced chronic cholestatic liver diseases such as PBC can easily be demonstrated by the simple and safe fine needle aspiration liver biopsy technique.