[Indications for liver biopsy in liver tumors]

Significant progress has been made in the assessment of liver dysfunction by application of non-invasive physical and biochemical test procedures. However, liver biopsy remains an important tool for diagnosis, evaluation and prognosis of chronic liver diseases and hepatic neoplasms. Liver biopsy results are most useful when the biopsy is performed for well-defined indications following a complete work-up of the patient. In case of lesions highly suspicious for hepatocellular carcinoma, a biopsy should be performed in case surgical (curative) treatment is no option. Thus for the planning of a surgical intervention, biopsy of the tumor is not necessary. In case of concomitant liver cirrhosis, a biopsy taken from the non-neoplastic (cirrhotic) liver may help to assess the functional capacity or to clarify the etiology. Metastases of the liver with unknown primary tumor should be biopsied to obtain information of the primary tumor and the potential for cytostatic therapy. In case of hemangioma or focal nodular hyperplasia, diagnosed and confirmed by radiology or ultrasound, biopsy is usually not necessary. Concern has been expressed about seeding of the needle tract with malignant cells. Indeed, such instances have been recorded with various carcinomas, but they remain rare events and are seldom of clinical importance. With the use of needles with diameter < 1.3 mm to minimise also the risk of bleeding, the procedure is simple, safe and painless.