ObjectiveTo assess the clinical significance of liver biopsy for diagnosis and treatment of liver disease. MethodsPatients with obscure liver disease who underwent liver biopsy under B-ultrasound guidance at our hospital between 2007 and 2011 were retrospectively analyzed. ResultsSixteen cases with obscure liver disease were diagnosed after liver biopsy. Among them, four cases (25.0%) were diagnosed as drug induced hepatitis, four (25.0%) as fatty liver disease, two (12.5%) as autoimmune hepatitis, two (12.5%) as hepatitis B virus infection, one (6.3%) as acute viral cholestatic hepatitis, and one (6.3%) as Schistosomiasis liver disease. In the two remaining cases (12.5%), no specific diagnosis was confirmed by the liver biopsy. Among the 20 chronic hepatitis B patients (all of whom presented with abnormal liver function at six month follow-up, high viral load, and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level lower than twice the upper limit), 13 (65.0%) had at least moderate intensity hepatic inflammation (greater than or equal to grade II) that necessitated antiviral therapy. Furthermore, the majority (69.2%) of these patients represented the 20-40 year-old age category. ConclusionLiver biopsy is an important approach for diagnosing the cause of liver function abnormalities and plays an important role in designing a suitable treatment strategy.
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