Chronic liver disease: comparison of ultrasound patterns with laparoscopy and biopsy.

We studied the correlation of ultrasound patterns with laparoscopy and biopsy results in 140 patients with chronic liver disease (CLD). Of the 23 patients with a normal ultrasound pattern (N), biopsies revealed CLD in 18; in the 22 patients with unspecified hepatomegaly (H), biopsies disclosed CLD in 20; and in the 64 patients with a homogeneous bright pattern (HB), biopsies showed CLD in 62. All 22 cases of heterogeneous bright pattern (HTB) and all 9 patients with nodular pattern (ND) had CLD. In conclusion, it appears that the HTB and nodular ultrasound patterns confirm the presence of CLD, the HB pattern is suggestive of CLD, but diagnosis of CLD cannot be made from N and H patterns.