Do I really need a liver biopsy?

[chuchit]

My blood test shows that
HBeAG: Non reactive
HBeAB: Reactive
HBV DNA BY PCR QUANT: 87,522 IU/mL
HBV DNA QUANT - CALC: 446362 Copies/mL

My doctor suggested/ordered a liver biopsy for me. Do I really need to have the biopsy with the above results. What do those numbers mean to me?

Thank you.

[stef2011]

he must have all life alt/ast very close and always lower than 30 for 90% security, i have ended up with cirrhosis with alt 25-35 most of the time....

[cajim]

Testing ALT and AST is cheaper.

If ALT and AST are normal, maybe liver biopsy or fibroscan can hold if you show no symptoms at all.

[stef2011]

a liver biopsy is needed?
pratically nothing for most cases of hbv and to save the expense of a fibbroscan to the hospital since for the hospital a doctor which takes a piece of your liver by a needle costs about nothing

fibroscan is expensive so you have to find a good hospital which has that

[chuchit]

Thanks so much for your response. I did have an ultrasound on my liver and the result was "no mass found" and I have no family history of cirrhosis or liver cancer. I don't see ATL on my blood test report, but there is something called "Immunology Alpha Petoprotein" and the number is 2.83ng/mL. I couldn't decide whether or not I should wait 6 months or so to have a blood test again and see what the results at that time are compare to current. I'm worried that the liver biopsy is way too invasive for my case. I'll ask about the fibroscan. Could you help me understand when a liver biopsy is needed?

[stef2011]

it depends, liver biopsy is not needed to check liver damage anymore, in this case the doctor just ordered that because your area is not updated with firboscans, they exist from 2005....although machine is expensive it must be in the hospital

biopsy is needed to check cccdna and virus antigenes in the liver or some cases or strange mutated hbv with antigens not detactable in the blood

i thnk the anwser is they dont have fibroscan

[Sharp7]

Have you had an ultrasound scan done? Do you have a family history of cirrhosis or liver cancer? What about your ALT levels? Getting a biopsy done without knowing these is a bit premature. If fibroscan is available in your country, maybe a biopsy can be avoided completely.