AIM:To evaluate the potential of laparoscopy in thediagnosis of cirrhosis and outcome of interferon treatmentin HCV-infected patients.METHODS:In this retrospective study,diagnostic laparoscopywith laparoscopic liver biopsy was performed in 72 consecutivepatients with chronic HCV infection.The presence or absenceof drrhosis was analyzed macroscopically by laparoscopy andmicroscopically by liver biopsy specimens.Clinical andlaboratory data and outcome of interferon-alfa treatmentwere compared between cirrhotic and noncirrhotic patients.RESULTS:Laparoscopically,cirrhosis was seen in 29.2 %(21/72)and non-cirrhosis in 70.8 %(51/72)of patients.Cirrhotic patients were significantly older with a significantlonger duration of HCV infection than noncirrhotic patients.Laboratory parameters(AST,y-GT,y-globulin fraction)weremeasured significantly higher as well as significantly lower(prothrombin index,platelet count)in cirrhotic patients thanin non-cirrhotic patients.Histologically,cirrhosis was confirmedin 11.1%(8/72)and non cirrhosis in 88.9 %(64/72).Patientswith macroscopically confirmed cirrhosis(n=21)showedhistologically cirrhosis in 38.2 %(8/21)and histologically non-cirrhosis in 61.9 %(13/21).In contrast,patients withmacroscopically non-cirrhosis(n=51)showed histologicallynon cirrhosis in all cases(51/51).Thirty-nine of 72 patientswere treated with interferon-alfa,resulting in 35.9 %(14/39)patients with sustained response and 64.1%(25/39)withnon response.Non-responders showed significantly moremacroscopically cirrhosis than sustained responders.Incontrast,there were no significant histological differencesbetween non-responders and sustained responders.CONCLUSION:Diagnostic laparoscopy is more accuratethan liver biopsy in recognizing cirrhosis in patients withchronic HCV infection.Liver biopsy is the best way to assessinflammatory grade and fibrotic stage.The invasive marker forstaging,prognosis and management,and treatment outcomeof chronic HCV-infected patients need further research anddinical thals.Laparoscopy should be performed for recognitionof drrhosis if this parameter is found to be of prognostic andtherapeutic relevance in patients with chronic HCV infection. AIM: To evaluate the potential of laparoscopy in the diagnosis of cirrhosis and outcome of interferon treatmentin HCV-infected patients. METHHODS: In this retrospective study, diagnostic laparoscopy with laparoscopic liver biopsy was performed in 72 consecutive patients with chronic HCV infection. Presence or absence of drrhosis was Clinical macroscopically by laparoscopy and microscopically by liver biopsy specimens. Clinical and laboratory data and outcome of interferon-alfa treatment were compared between cirrhotic and noncirrhotic patients .RESULTS: Laparoscopically, cirrhosis was seen in 29.2% (21/72) and non-cirrhosis in 70.8% ( 51/72) of patients. Patients with severe older than a significant longer duration of HCV infection than nonirrhotic patients. (AST, y-GT, y-globulin fraction) were significantly higher as well as significantly lower (prothrombin index, platelet count) in cirrhotic patients thanin non-cirrhotic patients. Histologically, cirrhosis was co Patients with macroscopically confirmed cirrhosis (n = 21) showedhistologically cirrhosis in 38.2% (8/21) and histologically non-cirrhosis in 61.9% (13 / 21). In contrast, patients with macroscopically non-cirrhosis (n = 51) showed histologically non cirrhosis in all cases (51/51). Thirty-nine of 72 patientswere treated with interferon-alfa, resulting in 35.9% (14/39) patients with sustained response and 64.1% (25/39) with non response. Non-responders were significantly more macroscopically cirrhosis than sustained responders. contratrast, there were no significant histological differencesbetween non-responders and sustained responders. CONCLUSION: Diagnostic laparoscopy is more accurate liver biopsy in recognizing cirrhosis in patients with chronic HCV infection. Liver biopsy is the best way to assessinflammatory grade and fibrotic stage. The invasive marker forstaging, prognosis and management, and treatment outcome of chronic HCV-infected patients need further research and clinical thals. Laparoscopy should be performed for recognition of drrhosis if this parameter is found to be of prognostic and therapeutic relevance in patients with chronic HCV infection.