Information on the skin biopsy

The present information is aimed primarily at dermatologists. References to other disciplines are of course given throughout, where diseases or technique demand the standardised removal of defined skin problems.

 Introduction
 Historical background
 Biopsy techniques
    The Punch biopsy
    The Spindle biopsy
    The sharp spoon
    The Shave biopsy
    Advantages of the sharp biopsy
 The basis of dermatopathology
    Fixing the tissue
    Orientation of the tissue at the laboratory
    Histopathological assessment
 The timing of the biopsy
    Neoplasias
    Inflammatory dermatoses
    Performing multiple biopsies
    Avoiding secondarily-altered lesions
 Site of the biopsy
    Aesthetic aspects
    Other aspects
    Selecting the biopsy site in partial biopsies
    Direct immune fluorescence
 Selecting the biopsy technique
    Benign epithelial tumours
    Excision biopsy of malignant tumours
    Partial biopsy of malignant tumours
    The contingent relationship between biopsy size and differential clinical diagnosis
    Biopsy of inflammatory dermatoses
    Biopsy of the panniculitis
 The importance of the clinical-histopathological correlation
 References