Information on the skin biopsy

Selecting the biopsy technique

Malign epithelial tumours

The choice of biopsy technique will depend on the suspected clinical diagnosis, also on the confidence of that diagnosis. If we are starting out from an assumption of a high probability of a malignant superficial tumour, a confirmatory diagnosis may be performed using curettage or shave biopsy. To do this, pieces of attached tissue as large as possible should be obtained. In cases of very superficial changes, such as exophytic seborrhoeic keratoses and Verrucae, this can be done with the sharp spoon: for rather more profound tumours such as endophytically-growing Verrucae or fibrous melanocytic marks, the single-use ring curette is more suitable, given its sharpness. The sharp ring curette is also to be preferred if anaesthetics are to be avoided, such as when removing multiple Mollusca contagiosa.(6) When handling ring curettes, the "pen technique", is advised, which allows good control of the cut.

 next page "Excision biopsy of malignant tumours"
 previous page "Selecting the biopsy technique"

 back to the Index of contents