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Medical Author:

David C. Wolf, M.D., FACP, FACG, AGAF

Medical Editor:

Jay W. Marks, MD

Jay W. Marks, MD

Jay W. Marks, MD, is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist. He graduated from Yale University School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine and gastroenterology at UCLA/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

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The choice of a liver biopsy technique may be influenced by the disease state that is being investigated and by the patient's underlying medical condition. As an example, a stable out-patient with unexplained abnormal liver tests and no history of bleeding abnormalities might be an appropriate candidate for percutaneous liver biopsy. On the other hand, a patient with unexplained abnormal liver tests who is undergoing hemodialysis treatment for end-stage renal disease would be expected to have an abnormal tendency for bleeding after a biopsy. The risk of bleeding complications might be reduced by using a transjugular approach. Finally, the patient with unexplained abnormal liver chemistries who is undergoing elective surgery for another reason (for example, surgical treatment of obesity or cholecystectomy to treat chronic gallbladder disease) might be a candidate for liver biopsy during surgery.

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