What Conditions Require a Skin Biopsy?

Sometimes the most effective way to diagnose a skin disease or lesion is by taking a sample of the skin and examining it under a microscope. This is called a skin biopsy, and it’s a useful diagnostic procedure for dermatologists worldwide. Often, a skin biopsy can help dermatologists diagnose a skin concern in its earliest possible stage before it worsens and becomes harder to treat. 

Your dermatologist can safely perform a biopsy in the office – no need to visit a surgical center or separate lab. At Orlando Dermatology Center in Oviedo and Orlando, Florida, Vitaly Blatnoy, MD, and our team use several biopsy techniques to collect skin samples for testing: 

• Shave biopsies, which use a razor blade to skim off the sample
• Punch biopsies, which collect a sample using a circular blade
• Excisional biopsies, which use a scalpel to remove an entire lesion

We ensure you receive the most effective biopsy type according to the location, size, and depth of the lesion in question. 

Here at Orlando Dermatology Center, we perform biopsies on a routine basis and can tell you when a biopsy should come next in the diagnostic process. This blog provides a brief overview of when biopsies should be considered and which conditions require a skin biopsy. 

Warning signs and symptoms

Most dermatologists recommend examining your skin regularly and reporting new changes and symptoms. This includes new moles or changes to moles you’ve always had. Monitor your moles and new growths to check for features within the ‘ABCDE’ acronym:

• Asymmetry
• Border irregularities
• Color irregularities
• Diameter larger than a pea
• Evolution (changes)

Moles and similar growths aren’t the only skin features that might indicate your need for a skin biopsy. We might recommend a biopsy for any of these skin symptoms if the cause is unidentified:

• Scales and roughness
• Open sores that won’t heal on their own
• Rashes that don’t subside
• Blisters that don’t heal

Before recommending a skin biopsy, our team examines the skin concern and reviews your medical history. We might use other testing strategies, like dermoscopy, before or instead of a biopsy. 

Conditions diagnosed with a skin biopsy

A biopsy can play a critical role in diagnosing many serious skin conditions and disorders. After diagnosing your condition with a skin biopsy, we can begin creating your personalized treatment strategy. 

Your biopsy may or may not result in a diagnosis of:

An infectious skin disease

Some fungal and bacterial skin infections result in growths or lesions that are difficult to distinguish from other conditions. Although many infections are diagnosable without a biopsy, we may use a biopsy on occasion. 

Inflammatory skin disorders

Chronic skin disorders like eczema and psoriasis tend to cause symptoms during flare-ups. Coupled with periods of remission, flare-ups can last for weeks. While these diseases are typically diagnosable without a skin biopsy, we might use a biopsy to diagnose them if lesions look indistinguishable from other skin conditions. 

Skin cancers and precancers

Typically, if we order a skin biopsy, we’re testing for cancers and precancers. Precancerous lesions called actinic keratoses often look exactly like cancerous moles and lesions. 

Skin biopsies are notoriously effective for identifying skin cancers, including basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. Sometimes in the case of less serious cancers like basal and squamous cell carcinomas, the skin biopsy removes the entire lesion and no further treatment is needed. Skin biopsies allow us to identify cancer in early stages when treatment is easiest. 

If your skin cancer has spread beyond the initial lesion, our team may recommend other skin cancer treatments or skin cancer surgery, including Mohs surgery.   

Do you have a skin concern?

Whether or not you feel that a lesion looks suspicious, it’s always a good idea to schedule a professional skin exam at our practice to determine if you need a biopsy. Call us at Orlando Dermatology Center or book an appointment online at your nearest center today.