Liver biopsies help define the disease process and can assist the clinician in forming a prognosis. The small size of liver biopsy specimens and limited responses of the liver to a wide spectrum of injuries often do not allow for a specific etiologic diagnosis. Determination of the distribution and morphology of the lesion often provides useful diagnostic and prognostic information. Maximum value can be attained from liver biopsies when the histologic findings are correlated with the results of other diagnostic tests and there is good communication between the clinician and pathologist.