This refers to a medical procedure in which a physician takes a small sample of a patient’s skin to examine and make a diagnosis of a wide range of conditions including fungal and bacterial infections (Nischal , Nischal & Khopkar, 2008). It is an ideal tool for the diagnosis and management of skin conditions.
There are several methods of carrying out a skin biopsy, and they include shave biopsy, punch biopsy, wedge biopsy and saucerization biopsy (Kademani & Tiwana, 2015).
The term Biopsy has a Greek origin and is derived from the words bio which mean life and opsia which mean to see. It is believed that the first recorded biopsies were carried out by Arabs in the 12th century A.D (Klingensmith, 2008). It was not until 1879 that the term biopsy as used today was introduced into medical terminology by Besnier, a French dermatologist. This was despite the fact that the first true diagnostic biopsy had been obtained in 1875 by a Russian physician by the name Rudnev. Starting from the early 1900s, surgical biopsies started coming into generalized usage, and ever since then, many types of biopsy procedures including skin biopsies have been developed (Kademani & Tiwana, 2015).
Fresh tissue of either hard or soft character is removed from a site either partially or permanently, making it possible for a physician to microscopically examine the cells in the tissue. The tissues can also be examined by chemically and radiographically (Kademani & Tiwana, 2015). When carrying out a skin biopsy, a physician is required to select the best surgical technique that will facilitate the gaining of most useful information while using the least amount of tissue thereby resulting in the best cosmetic outcome (Nischal , Nischal & Khopkar, 2008). When complete removal of a skin lesion is required, then excisional biopsies are often indicated. On the other hand punch biopsy is used when a small amount of tissue from large surface area lesions are required (Nischal , Nischal & Khopkar, 2008).
Skin biopsies are carried out to help in the diagnosis of cutaneous infections as well as the histologic diagnosis of neoplastic and inflammatory skin disorders (Klingensmith, 2008). The clinical presentation for which skin biopsies may be recommended include papular rash, macular rash, Vesicobullous disorder, deep pathology, suspected melanoma, cutaneous lupus and lentigo maligna (Nischal , Nischal & Khopkar, 2008).
References
Kademani, D., & Tiwana, P. (2015). Atlas of oral and maxillofacial surgery. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Klingensmith, M. E. (Ed.). (2008). The Washington manual of surgery. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Nischal, U., Nischal, K. C., & Khopkar, U. (2008). Techniques of skin biopsy and practical considerations. Journal of cutaneous and aesthetic surgery, 1(2), 107.