title: [Chronic liver diseases--new therapy. Are biopsies necessary?].
abstract: Chronic liver disease can often reliably be assessed only by examination of biopsy material. In this article the possible indications for liver biopsy in viral hepatitis B and C, autoimmune liver disease, steatohepatitis and hereditary metabolic diseases are described. A biopsy may be useful in cases with unclear clinical or serological situations or with questionable chronicity and comorbidities. The assessment of biopsy material should be based on guideline-based classification systems. The value of biopsy diagnosis benefits from a close interdisciplinary clinical pathological cooperation.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Pathologie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bürkle-de-la-Camp Platz 1, 44789, Bochum, Deutschland, andrea.tannapfel@rub.de.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tannapfel
mesh_terms: D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D015897:Comorbidity; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D058625:End Stage Liver Disease / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006432:Hemochromatosis / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D019693:Hepatitis, Autoimmune / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D006527:Hepatolenticular Degeneration / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D019564:Unnecessary Procedures