Early and non-invasive diagnosis of hepatic cirrhosis still remains an open problem. New met- hods, in particular modified sonography, still competes with relatively successful laboratory met- hods. Cirrhosis remains however defined morphologically at the microlevel, as cirrhoses with a smooth surface are by no means rare. A smooth surface is as a rule found in chronic inflammati- ons of the liver resembling cirrhosis, so-called precirrhoses, the detection of which in modern pre- ventive medicine is essential. These facts should lead to prognostic caution when evaluating conclusions of non-invasive procedures in detection of cirrhosis.

        Key words: liver – cirrhosis and precirrhosis – non-invasive and invasive diagnosis