Role of liver biopsy in the assessment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Assessments of liver biopsies are important in the diagnosis and management of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Histology remains the 'gold standard' for making the important distinction between simple steatosis, which is generally non-progressive and readily reversible, and steatohepatitis, which has the potential to progress to severe fibrosis or cirrhosis. Liver biopsy may also identify other causes of liver disease in patients thought to have fatty liver disease and vice versa. Histological grading and staging of fatty liver disease require further study but these are potentially important approaches for studying disease severity and progression, particularly in the context of clinical trials to assess novel therapeutic approaches.