Definition

A skin biopsy is a procedure to remove a small piece of skin for testing. There are three main types:

• Shave biopsy—outer part of the area is removed
• Punch biopsy—a small round piece of skin is removed using a punch tool
• Excisional biopsy—an entire area of abnormal skin is removed

Punch Biopsy Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.

Reasons for Procedure

A skin biopsy may be done to diagnose:

• A skin infection
• Inflammation such as psoriasis
• Skin cancer or non cancer skin growths—if possible, the entire growth will be removed

A skin biopsy may also be done to:

• Make sure a tumor was completely removed
• Check the effect of a treatment

Possible Complications

Problems are rare, but all procedures have some risk. The doctor will go over problems that could happen, such as:

• Excess bleeding
• Infection
• Damage to tissues or structures

Things that may raise the risk of problems are:

• Smoking
• Drinking alcohol
• Long term diseases such as diabetes and obesity

What to Expect

Call Your Doctor

Call your doctor if you are not getting better or you have:

• Signs of infection, such as fever and chills
• Excess bleeding, redness, swelling, or discharge from the incision site
• Red streaks that extend from the incision site
• Pain that you cannot control with the medicines
• New or unexpected symptoms

If you think you have an emergency, call for medical help right away.