Liver Biopsy

Glossary

Core needle biopsy: a biopsy obtained using a large bore needle (16 gauge or 18 gauge) to obtain a "core" of liver tissue.

Wedge biopsy: a surgical biopsy in which a larger amount of tissue (typically up to 1 cm³) is obtained under direct surgical control.

Transvenous liver biopsy: a minimally invasive procedure performed under imaging guidance in which the liver is accesed via a catheter in the jugular vein and passed down into the hepatic veins. Performed in patients with a high bleeding risk or a large amount of intraabdominal fluid (ascites).

Elastography: measurement of tissue physical properties by vibrating the tissue of interest and calculating shear velocity (stiffness).