Types of Liver Biopsy

Liver biopsy (LB) is an important procedure in the diagnosis and treatment of liver diseases. However, procedures for performing LB vary amongst institutions, and no universal guide‐ lines exist. LB is performed for two main reasons: diagnosis of a liver condition itself, and as an adjunct to an existing surgical procedure. Recently, it has become possible to employ both approaches with minimal invasiveness using the transjugular route or under the guid‐ ance of ultrasound, computed tomography, or laparoscopic and endoscopic ultrasound. Techniques for liver tissue sampling include percutaneous liver biopsy [1-6], transjugular liver biopsy [7-14], laparoscopic liver biopsy [15], and transgastric liver biopsy [16-20]. This chapter introduces these techniques and evaluates their outcomes.