<unk>  is often required for the diagnosis of a<unk>  problem (jaundice, abnormal blood tests) where blood tests, such as hepatitis A serology, have not been able to identify a cause. It is also required if hepatitis is possibly the result of medication, but the exact nature of the reaction is unclear. Alcoholic<unk>  disease and tuberculosis of the<unk>  may be diagnosed through<unk> . Direct<unk>  of tumors of the<unk>  may aid the diagnosis, although this may be avoided if the source is clear (e.g. spread from previously known colorectal cancer).<unk>  will likely remain particularly important in the diagnosis of unexplained<unk>  disease. Non-invasive tests for<unk>  fibrosis in alcoholic, nonalcoholic and viral<unk>  diseases are likely to become more widely used. If the diagnosis is already clear, such as chronic hepatitis B or hepatitis C,<unk>  is useful to assess the severity of the associated<unk>  damage. The same is true for haemochromatosis (iron overload), although it is frequently omitted. Primary biliary cirrhosis and primary sclerosing cholangitis may require<unk> , although other diagnostic modalities have made this less necessary. Occasionally,<unk>  is required to monitor the progress of treatment, such as in chronic viral hepatitis. It is an effective way to measure changes in the Ishak fibrosis score. For the last century<unk>  has been considered as the gold standard for assessing the stage and the grade of chronic<unk>  disease. Consensus conference statements recommended<unk>  in the management of almost all patients with hepatitis C and B.<unk>  results show significant variability (up to 40% for fibrosis diagnosis) which can lead to a wrong diagnosis. The result depends on the representativity of the punctured sample. Only 5% of patients at risk of fibrosis have<unk> . In 2002, the consensus conferences in France and in the USA raised the possibility of treating patients with chronic hepatitis without<unk> . These conferences also underlined the necessity of developing reliable non-invasive tests that might be an alternative to<unk>  both in hepatitis B and C.
Liver biopsy
Liver scratch test
Hepatogram
Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography
ALCAT test
DPD scan
Coombs test
Lipid profile