Wang LB, Wang XM, Zhao XY, Wang GZ. Letter to the Editor: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided liver biopsy for parenchymal disease: Feasibility, safety, and future considerations. World J Gastrointest Endosc 2026; 18(4): 118313 [DOI: 10.4253/wjge.v18.i4.118313]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Gong-Zheng Wang, PhD, Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, No. 324 Jingwu Road, Jinan 250021, Shandong Province, China. wanggz0322@163.com
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Gastroenterology & Hepatology
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Correspondence
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This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Apr 16, 2026 (publication date) through Apr 16, 2026
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Publication Name
World Journal of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
ISSN
1948-5190
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Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA
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Wang LB, Wang XM, Zhao XY, Wang GZ. Letter to the Editor: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided liver biopsy for parenchymal disease: Feasibility, safety, and future considerations. World J Gastrointest Endosc 2026; 18(4): 118313 [DOI: 10.4253/wjge.v18.i4.118313]
World J Gastrointest Endosc. Apr 16, 2026; 18(4): 118313 Published online Apr 16, 2026. doi: 10.4253/wjge.v18.i4.118313
Letter to the Editor: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided liver biopsy for parenchymal disease: Feasibility, safety, and future considerations
Lian-Bang Wang, Xi-Ming Wang, Xin-Ya Zhao, Gong-Zheng Wang
Lian-Bang Wang, Xi-Ming Wang, Xin-Ya Zhao, Gong-Zheng Wang, Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250021, Shandong Province, China
Co-corresponding authors: Xin-Ya Zhao and Gong-Zheng Wang.
Author contributions: Wang LB wrote the original draft; Wang XM and Wang GZ participated in drafting the manuscript; Zhao XY and Wang GZ contributed to conceptualization, writing, reviewing, and editing as co-corresponding authors; all authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare no conflict of interest in publishing the manuscript.
Corresponding author: Gong-Zheng Wang, PhD, Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, No. 324 Jingwu Road, Jinan 250021, Shandong Province, China. wanggz0322@163.com
Received: December 29, 2025 Revised: January 18, 2026 Accepted: February 14, 2026 Published online: April 16, 2026 Processing time: 105 Days and 16.3 Hours
Abstract
This invited commentary discusses the recent study by Alali et al, published in the World Journal of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, which investigated the feasibility and safety of endoscopic ultrasound-guided liver biopsy (EUS-LB) for diagnosing parenchymal liver disease. The study demonstrated a high diagnostic yield and a low rate of serious complications, supporting the efficacy of EUS-LB as an alternative to percutaneous liver biopsy. The study also highlighted technical factors that improve tissue acquisition. While commending the multi-center findings and technical insights, we discuss limitations of the retrospective design and modest sample, compare EUS-LB with traditional biopsy modalities, and emphasize the need for larger prospective studies to validate and generalize these results.
Core Tip: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided liver biopsy is an established alternative to percutaneous biopsy for parenchymal liver disease. Alali et al report high diagnostic adequacy and a low rate of serious adverse events, reinforcing existing evidence of safety and effectiveness. Their findings suggest that the use of a 19-gauge core biopsy needle and wet heparin suction improves specimen quality. However, the retrospective design and limited sample size warrant cautious interpretation, and larger prospective studies are needed to confirm these observations and refine optimal biopsy techniques.
