Evidence-based interpretation of liver biopsies

Area of Science:

• Pathology
• Hepatopathology
• Evidence-Based Medicine

Background:

• Anatomic Pathology diagnoses are crucial for patient management.
• The evidence base supporting Anatomic Pathology practices requires critical analysis.
• Hepatopathology literature was examined to assess its foundation in evidence-based medicine.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the basis of diagnostic opinions in Anatomic Pathology.
• To identify and analyze the most cited articles in Hepatopathology.
• To determine the extent to which Hepatopathology adheres to evidence-based medicine principles.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of the top 150 most-cited articles in Hepatopathology.
• Data collected included authorship, journal of publication, publication type, and year.
• Citation classics were identified to represent the discipline's foundational literature.

Main Results:

• Leading hepatopathologists are the most cited authors.
• Highly cited articles are predominantly published in high-impact clinical journals, not pathology journals.
• Viral hepatitis pathology is strongly supported by evidence-based medicine.
• Other areas of hepatopathology rely on narrative-based case series without statistical outcome validation.
• Publication years show recent activity in viral hepatitis treatment and older narrative articles.

Conclusions:

• Hepatopathology is well-grounded in evidence-based medicine concerning viral hepatitis.
• The broader field of hepatopathology largely utilizes a narrative-based approach, relying on case experience.
• Future research may be needed to strengthen the evidence base in non-viral hepatitis areas.