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Which liver biopsy needle delivers the best tissue? a Head-to-Head comparison

NCT ID NCT07701031

Diagnosis Sponsor: University Hospital Muenster Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 14, 2026 · Last updated Jul 16, 2026 · Updated 2 times

Summary

This study compares different ways to take a liver biopsy in adults with chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, or who have had a liver transplant. The goal is to see which method—traditional percutaneous (through the belly) or endoscopic ultrasound-guided (through the stomach)—provides the best tissue sample for diagnosis and causes the least pain. Patients are assigned to one of five needle types in sequence, and researchers measure the length and quality of the tissue obtained, as well as any discomfort.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
liver biopsy performed with different needle types (EUS 19G FNA, 19G FNB, 22G FNA, 22G FNB, and percutaneous 18G Trucut)
What this could lead to
If one method proves superior, it could become the preferred technique for obtaining high-quality liver tissue samples with less pain.
What could go wrong
This is a single-center study with a small sample size, so results may not apply to all hospitals. The sequential design may introduce bias, and the optimal needle may still depend on patient factors.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Participants

146 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Jan 2023

Finished

Nov 2024

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Who is studied

All consecutive adult patients undergoing clinically indicated untargeted liver biopsy during the study period at our tertiary liver center.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * clinical indication for non-targeted liver biopsy * written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * ascites * severe coagulopathy (INR \>2.0 or platelet count \<50 × 10³/µl) * contraindications to endoscopy or sedation * anatomical conditions precluding safe liver biopsy * pregnancy

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

cirrhosis of liver liver disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Liver cirrhosis Liver disease chronic Liver transplant

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University Hospital Muenster

    Münster, 48149, Germany

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