Abstract
Determining the presence and degree of liver cirrhosis has a substantial importance for decisions regarding the therapeutic approach and prognosis for patients with chronic liver diseases. A liver biopsy has been largely replaced by non-invasive methods for this indication recently.
There is a wide spectrum of examination methods available, from imaging methods to serum examinations, validated on large segments of patients with liver diseases. Non-invasive serum tests are based on algorithms which combine multiple clinical and laboratory parameters and the resulting value can classify the patient based on the cirrhosis stage.
The main disadvantage of non-invasive tests is a "grey zone" of varying width, making it impossible to precisely diagnose moderate and medium severity cases of fibrosis. Liver biopsy thus retains its importance for patients in the "grey zone" and for diagnosing many liver diseases.