PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Carey, Emily
AU  - Carey, William D.
TI  - Noninvasive tests for liver disease, fibrosis, and cirrhosis: Is liver biopsy obsolete?
AID  - 10.3949/ccjm.77a.09138
DP  - 2010 Aug 01
TA  - Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine
PG  - 519--527
VI  - 77
IP  - 8
4099  - http://www.ccjm.org/content/77/8/519.short
4100  - http://www.ccjm.org/content/77/8/519.full
SO  - Cleve Clin J Med2010 Aug 01; 77
AB  - Liver biopsy has been used to diagnose chronic liver disease and to assess the degree of hepatic inflammation and fibrosis. However, it is an invasive test with many possible complications and the potential for sampling error. Noninvasive tests are increasingly precise in identifying the cause of many cases of liver disease and even the amount of liver injury (fibrosis). This review discusses the role of noninvasive tests to diagnose liver disease and to assess hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis.