INFO: Understanding Your Biopsy Results

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For everyone who is having or who just had a biopsy.SuZieWhen I play with my cat, how do I know that he is not passing time with me rather than I with him? - - Montaigne

Understanding Your Biopsy ResultsThe following terms are often used to describe the changes in liver tissue associated with HCV infection:

Portal Inflammation. The portal areas are tiny tracts of connective tissue within the liver that contain branches of the portal vein, the hepatic artery and bile ducts.

Piecemeal Necrosis. This term describes necrosis (cellular death) and inflammation around the portal areas.

Fibrosis. Fibrosis is the deposition of specialized fibers in the cell structure of the liver, forming scar tissue. The early stages of fibrosis are confined to the portal tracts.The intermediate stages of fibrosis are characterized by expansion of fibrous tissue to the portal tracts and bridging between portal areas (known as bridging fibrosis).

Cirrhosis. A term used to describe significant deformation of the structure of the liver due to scarring.

Grade. Grading describes the degree of inflammation and necrosis that has occurred in the liver.

Stage. Staging describes the degree of fibrosis (scarring) that has occurred.

There are several systems for describing the amount and type of inflammation and fibrosis you may have. When receiving biopsy results, the physician should specify which system is being used for grading and staging.

SourceFlora, K. Diagnostic Liver Biopsy. eMedicine.com. Liver Biopsy. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC). Liver Biopsy. British Liver Trust, 2002. Chronic Hepatitis C: Current Disease Management. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, National Institutes of Health.

Reviewed 7/13/05 by V. J. , RN, BSN, MA.

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