Biopsy

Quite often in medicine, a   biopsy is required to help determine a diagnosis and/or help guide us in the most suitable treatments. Simply put, a biopsy is a sample of a piece of tissue taken from the body for more precise examination. 


The most commonly performed biopsy in veterinary medicine is likely for skin growths, however often biopsy samples are needed of organs such as the liver or small intestine. Some ultrasound guided biopsies are more than suitable, but when this is not an option the least invasive method is laparoscopically.


Laparoscopic biopsies allow us to visualize the organ in question and collect samples through a very small incision, leading to a vast reduction in pain and much faster recovery. 

Endoscopic view of the inside of the abdomen, showing the liver and other tissues, dated December 20, 2011.

Normal Liver

Endoscopic view of the abdomen, showing the liver and other organs in reddish-brown hues.

Cirrhotic Liver

You can see the liver is smaller and much more pale in colour.

Potential Reasons to
Biopsy Liver

  • Elevated liver values on bloodwork with no known cause
  • To confirm a diagnosis (eg: hepatic lipidosis/fatty liver, hepatitis)
  • To help diagnose possible liver shunt
  • To look for types of liver cancer
  • Any other abnormality found on x-ray or ultrasound