Liver biopsy

A procedure that removes a small sample of liver tissue for microscopic examination. It can help diagnose liver disease, assess its severity, or evaluate treatment.

Percutaneous liver biopsy: A liver biopsy performed by passing a needle through the skin, usually between the ribs. This is the standard route when the liver can be safely reached through the abdominal wall.
Liver fibrosis: The accumulation of scar tissue in the liver after repeated injury. Biopsy can show fibrosis and help grade its extent.
Transient elastography: An ultrasound-based test that estimates liver stiffness using the speed of mechanical waves. It can estimate fibrosis without removing tissue, though it does not provide microscopic detail.
Sampling error: A measurement error caused when the examined sample does not represent the larger population or tissue. Liver disease can vary across the organ, so a small sample may misrepresent its severity.
Transjugular liver biopsy: A liver biopsy in which a catheter reaches the liver through the jugular vein and hepatic veins. This route is used when bleeding risk or abdominal fluid makes a percutaneous approach unsuitable.
Cirrhosis: Advanced liver scarring that disrupts normal tissue architecture and blood flow. A biopsy may clarify suspected cirrhosis when noninvasive findings are inconclusive.
Magnetic resonance elastography: An MRI technique that maps tissue stiffness using propagating mechanical waves. It offers a noninvasive estimate of liver fibrosis as an alternative to biopsy in some cases.
Post-biopsy pain: Pain occurring after a tissue biopsy, often near the sampling site or referred to another area. Pain is the most common symptom after liver needle biopsy.
Ultrasound-guided biopsy: A procedure in which ultrasound imaging guides a needle to a target within the body. Real-time imaging can help direct the biopsy needle and avoid nearby structures.
Autoimmune hepatitis: A chronic liver disease in which immune activity causes inflammation and liver-cell injury. Biopsy findings can support diagnosis and assess inflammatory activity.

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