Biopsy

A biopsy is a medical procedure that involves taking a small sample of tissue so that it can be examined under a microscope.

They can be used to investigate the cause of a person's symptoms or to help diagnose a number of different health conditions. They are also often used to identify abnormal cells and to help identify a specific type of condition.

Where a condition has already been diagnosed, a biopsy can be used to measure how severe it is or what stage it is at, for example, the results of a biopsy can show how severely an organ, such as the liver, is inflamed.

Biopsies can often help diagnose or rule out:

• cancer
• peptic ulcers
• hepititis
• kidney disease
• endometriosis.

Scraping cells: removing cells from the surface layer of tissue.

Punch biopsy: punch a small hole in the skin to obtain a skin sample, used for diagnosing skin conditions.

Needle biopsy: hollow needle guided by ultrasound is used to obtain tissue from an organ or from tissue from beneath the skin.

Endoscopic biopsy: endoscope is used to remove tissue.

Excisional biopsy: surgery is used to remove a larger section of tissue.

Perioperative biopsy: tissue is tested during surgery so that the surgeon can give the correct diagnosis and treatment.

How a biopsy is carried out will depend on where the tissue sample is being taken from. CT scanning is often used to guide some types of biopsy. After sample is removed, it will be examined under a microscope to see whether it is abnormal.