Liver Biopsy in Chronic Liver Diseases: Is There a Favorable Benefit: Risk Balance?

Ann Hepatol. 2017 Jul-Aug;16(4):487-489. doi: 10.5604/01.3001.0010.0272.

Abstract

Liver biopsy is still useful in selected clinical situations in which it is the only tool to obtain information necessary for the diagnosis, the prognosis, and the decision for treatment. Main examples are viral hepatitis with confounding co-morbidities, non alcoholic fatty liver disease, and autoimmune liver diseases.

Keywords: chronic liver disease; cirrhosis; co-morbidities; fibrosis; liver biopsy.

MeSH terms

  • Biopsy
  • Comorbidity
  • Hepatitis, Autoimmune / diagnosis*
  • Hepatitis, Autoimmune / epidemiology
  • Hepatitis, Autoimmune / pathology
  • Hepatitis, Chronic / diagnosis*
  • Hepatitis, Chronic / epidemiology
  • Hepatitis, Chronic / pathology
  • Hepatitis, Chronic / virology
  • Humans
  • Liver / pathology*
  • Liver / virology
  • Liver Cirrhosis / diagnosis*
  • Liver Cirrhosis / epidemiology
  • Liver Cirrhosis / pathology
  • Liver Cirrhosis / virology
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / diagnosis*
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / epidemiology
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / pathology
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Prognosis
  • Risk Factors