The Role of Liver Puncture Biopsy

Liver puncture biopsy is an invasive test that is important in patients with chronic hepatitis. The purpose of liver biopsy is to determine the actual current damage to the liver and, based on the results of the pathological examination, to determine whether to treat or the treatment plan. It is especially important in patients with atypical conditions, especially those with chronic fluctuations in liver function but serum biochemical tests that do not meet antiviral indications, to try to avoid abuse of antiviral drugs or delayed treatment with bad consequences. Clinical results show that the activity of inflammation and the efficiency of antiviral drugs are positively correlated, and the percentage of seroconversion can even reach more than 80% in patients with G3 or above, applying antiviral drugs, so liver biopsy is also the best diagnosis and criterion for the use of drugs. In addition, it is of great value to perform liver biopsy before antiviral treatment and compare it with the situation after treatment to determine the effectiveness and prognosis of treatment. Liver biopsy is safe, it is operated under ultrasound guidance, and the location and depth of the puncture can be accurately located. It removes only one third of a millionth of the liver, about less than 1 mm thick and 15 mm long, causing negligible damage to the liver. Liver biopsy is feasible as long as the patient has normal coagulation, less severe jaundice, no hepatic hemangioma and no patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Liver biopsy pathology can clarify the degree of inflammation, fibrosis and the presence or absence of hepatitis B and C viruses in the liver, and can also determine the cause of the disease based on its specific morphological changes, such as alcoholic liver disease. Liver biopsy is suitable for liver damage caused by various reasons, especially for virus carriers, chronic hepatitis, intrahepatic occupancy and liver damage of unknown diagnosis. Currently, the medical community uses this test as the gold standard for diagnosing the cause of liver disease and determining the efficacy of treatment.