title: Liver biopsy 2005: when and how?
abstract: Clinical imaging and serologic testing are increasingly replacing biopsy for diagnosing hepatic diseases. However, more biopsies are being done to stage and grade hepatitis C and fatty liver disease, to diagnose space-occupying lesions (typically with fine-needle aspiration biopsy), and to assess response to therapy. If biopsy is planned, it is important to evaluate its indications and risks and, if other physicians are involved, who is responsible for what.
authors.affiliation: Section of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center/Dartmouth Medical School, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA.
authors.forename: Corey A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Siegel
authors.forename: Anne M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Silas
authors.forename: Arief A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Suriawinata
authors.forename: Dirk J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: van Leeuwen
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000473:pathology; D006432:Hemochromatosis / Q000473:pathology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000473:pathology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*