[Chronic hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infections. Hidtology-classification--examination]

Clinicians disagree over the need to perform liver biopsy in chronic infections with hepatitis B and C viruses, with opinions ranging from "useless" to "conditionally advisable" to "absolutely necessary." The frequency of liver biopsies has generally been declining, which entails decreased practical knowledge in the morphological examination of liver biopsies. As a result certain basic considerations must occasionally reemphasized.