What is it about ?
We talk about a skin biopsy when a doctor removes a small piece of skin. A doctor who specializes in microscopic examination of cells and tissues (a pathologist) can then examine the piece of skin under a microscope.
When and why is a biopsy done?
Your general practitioner or a skin doctor (dermatologist) can take a skin biopsy for different reasons:
- to confirm a clinical diagnosis (i.e. a diagnosis that your doctor thinks about based on your complaints and symptoms);
- to assess whether a skin tumor is cancer or not;
- when a skin lesion does not respond to the recommended treatment.
In principle, all skin biopsies are sent to the laboratory for analysis.
How is it going ?
The skin is disinfected and put to sleep (local anesthesia).
There are two ways to take a skin biopsy:
- classic biopsy;
- punch biopsy.
Classic biopsy
Your doctor will cut an oval area around the skin lesion:
- 1 to 2 mm around the lesion;
- 3 to 5 mm around the lesion if a malignant tumor is suspected.
Small tumors are completely removed. The edges of the wound are then stitched up (suture).
Biopsy punch
Your doctor will remove a round of skin (usually 3-6mm) with some kind of drill.
For rashes on the skin and larger tumors, it may be necessary to do punch biopsies in different places to get a more accurate diagnosis.
A punch biopsy usually does not require a suture. A bandage is applied.
Want to know more?
Source
Guide of foreign clinical practice ‘Skin biopsy: indications and techniques’ (2000), updated on 22.05.2016 and adapted to the Belgian context on 07.10.2019 – ebpracticenet