Skin Biopsy

A Skin Biopsy treatment in Sirsa is useful for diagnosing various skin conditions such as:

• Skin disorders like psoriasis, eczema, actinic keratosis, and warts.
• Bacterial infections or fungal infections of the skin.
• Skin cancer can also be diagnosed with the help of a skin biopsy. The healthcare provider can easily distinguish between a common mole and developing skin cancer with this procedure. The skin biopsy procedure can also show the type of skin cancer.
• A skin biopsy is one of the most effective ways to diagnose skin cancer at an early stage.

Given below are some symptoms that can direct you to a skin biopsy:

• A rash that has been present for a long time.
• Rough or scaly skin.
• Open sores in the skin that don't heal.
• Skin growth or a mole
• A mole that follows "A-B-C-D-Es" of melanoma:
  • Asymmetrical - the shape of the mole is not regular
  • Border - the edge of the mole is jagged
  • Colour - the colour of the mole is uneven
  • Diameter - the size of the mole is larger than a pea
  • Evolving - the growth of the mole has changed in the past few days.
• Blistering skin

A normal biopsy report indicates that there is no cancer or any known skin disease.

An abnormal biopsy report means that a skin condition has been diagnosed. Sometimes, there can be more clarity required for the healthcare provider to reach a conclusion. Therefore, he/she may ask for some more tests to find the exact condition and its root cause.

Do I need to prepare for anything before the test?

No, you don't need to prepare for any special skin procedure for a skin biopsy.

The healthcare provider performing the skin biopsy will clean the skin properly and give you local anaesthesia to numb your skin. This won't allow you to feel any pain.

Process of the punch biopsy:

The healthcare provider will use a hollow and round blade. This blade is placed on the abnormal area of the skin. It is then rotated to remove a small part of the skin. A different tool is used to lift this part of the skin. In some cases, if a larger part of the skin is supposed to be taken, then one or two stitches are required to patch it up. During this process, pressure is applied to the wound to minimise bleeding. Then, the wound is covered with a bandage.

Process of the shave biopsy:

The healthcare provider will use a razor or a scalpel to shave the top layer of the skin. Bleeding caused by this biopsy is stopped by applying pressure to the wound and if required medicine can be applied on it as well. Later, the wound is covered with a bandage. The shave biopsy is usually performed if you are suffering from basal cells or squamous cell skin cancer.

Process of excisional biopsy:

The healthcare provider will use a scalpel to remove the infected part of the skin. It will also include some normal parts of the skin called the margin. The wound will be closed with some stitches and pressure will be applied to stop the bleeding. The wound is covered with a bandage later. The process of excisional biopsy is performed when you have melanoma. In some cases, it's also used for basal cells or squamous cell skin cancer. After this biopsy, you will have to keep the area covered with a bandage for some days. If you get stitches, it will take around 3-14 days for it to heal.

Given below is the list of questions that you must ask your healthcare provider before having a skin biopsy in Sirsa :

• What should my next steps be on the basis of the results?
• What kind of follow-up should I expect after my results?
• Are there any factors that may have altered the results?
• Will I need to go through the biopsy again?

Given below is the list of some complications that you must discuss with your healthcare provider before having a biopsy:

• Infection
• Nerve injury
• Bleeding
• Scarring
• Anaesthetic problems
• Wound breakdown