🔍 Key Findings
- Histologic agreement between 3 mm and 5 mm biopsies was 90%, with a Gwet's AC1 of 0.81 (p < .0001).
- 5 mm biopsies yielded significantly more portal triads and lobules than 3 mm samples (p = .0003 and p < .0001).
- Crush artifacts were significantly higher in 3 mm samples (p = .035), though fragmentation scores were similar (p = .935).
- Both forceps produced adequate samples for histopathology, copper quantification, and bacterial culture.
- No hemorrhage requiring intervention occurred, and both sizes were deemed safe and minimally invasive.
- Surface area ≥40 mm² strongly predicted ≥11 portal triads, a desirable threshold for reliable histopathology.
- Use of 3 mm instruments was easier in small dogs (<12 kg), but more challenging in larger dogs due to shaft length.
- Clinical diagnoses were unaffected by forceps size, even in the one discordant histologic pair.
