Laparoscopic liver biopsy in buffaloes with tru-cut needle yields superior liver samples

BACKGROUND: Liver biopsy is a valuable diagnostic tool for diagnosing hepatobiliary diseases in ruminants. Although laparoscopic biopsy is established in cattle and small animals, there is no standardised comparison of the biopsy instruments for buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis). OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare the quality of liver samples obtained by laparoscopy using three instruments: Babcock forceps (B1), laparoscopic biopsy forceps (B2) and a 14G truss cut needle (B3). We hypothesised that the tru-cut needle would provide superior samples with fewer artefacts. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective experimental study. METHODS: To understand sedation and epidural anaesthesia, laparoscopic liver biopsies were performed on five healthy female buffaloes. Using a right intercostal approach, three sequential samples were collected from each animal with B1, B2, and B3. The samples were histologically evaluated for quality (presence of portal /central veins), sufficiency, and artefacts (edge squeeze and detachment). The area was measured digitally. Statistical analysis used Cochran's Q and post-hoc McNemar tests (α = 0.05). RESULTS: The truss truss cut needle (B3) produced adequate quality samples in 100% of cases, compared to 80% for B2 and 60% for B1. Sample sufficiency was higher for B2 and B3 (80% each) than for B1 (0%; P = 0.0408). Edge detachment was significantly lower for B3 (20%) than for B2 (40%) and B1 (100%; P = 0.0388). Crush artifact was absent in B3 samples but present in 60% of B1 and B2 samples. MAIN LIMITATIONS: The small sample size (n = 5) of healthy animals limits statistical power and generalisability to clinical cases. The fixed order of the instrument may have introduced a sequence bias. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic liver biopsy with a truss cut needle yields diagnostically superior samples with significantly fewer artefacts compared to forceps-based techniques in buffaloes, recommending it as the instrument of choice for this species.