Punch Biopsy

Service Description

Primary indications for punch biopsies include suspicious skin growths and lesions. These include melanoma, carcinomas and various bullous or inflammatory skin conditions. Small pieces of skin from any part of the body are removed using a tube-shaped tool. It is rotated through the skin to the subcutaneous fat. The specimens obtained are sent for microscopic and histopathological examination, or bacterial and/ or viral cultures. While punch biopsies are capable of showing the full thickness of lesions, they are limited in terms of how much width they are able to display with respect to the specimen obtained. This limitation is crucial in the staging and prognosis of malignant lesions. Talk to your physician about it. To schedule an evaluation with a Memorial Hospital Provider contact one of our Rural Health Clinic Locations.