Malignant neoplasms of skin are well treated if detected in the early stages of their development. According to the latest statistics, about 40% of non-melanoma skin tumors are detected early during routine preventive examinations, while melanoma is diagnosed much less often at an early stage, because the tumor may not have a bright clinical picture, but at the same time spread deep into the skin and actively metastasize.
But modern diagnostic methods application in the practice of dermatologists and oncology dermatologists allows to detect this problem at an early stage and achieve a full recovery. One of these methods is a punch biopsy for skin tumors, which allows to establish the correct diagnosis in a short time with an accuracy of up to 99% and to start an appropriate treatment.
Punch biopsy is a type of incisional (so-called puncture) biopsy, when tissue is taken from a suspicious area before any medical interventions. This makes it possible to accurately establish a diagnosis and make up an appropriate comprehensive treatment program.
In the case of punch biopsy, collection of biological material does not take place with an ordinary needle, but with a specially designed DERMO-PUNCH tool (a hollow cylinder with a sharp cutting edge). It is a tubular scalpel with which the doctor quickly, accurately, almost painlessly and bloodlessly obtains a tissue sample for further histological examination.
Advantages of punch biopsy
The main advantage of technique is obtaining a sample of biological material in the form of a tissue column. This allows tpathomorphologists to more accurately study existing changes in sample and establish a clear and accurate diagnosis. In case of an ordinary puncture biopsy, it is much more difficult to do this, because pathologist will not receive an ordered column of cells for study, but a mixture of various skin cells and a neoplasm, so probability of an error in making a diagnosis increases significantly.
Another important advantage of punch biopsy is the ability to determine the depth of tissue damage. Such a tool allows to simultaneously take a skin sample containing all its layers, and in some cases even subcutaneous fatty tissue, for pathohistological examination.
Also, this method is minimally traumatic and does not require general anesthesia. The procedure takes a few minutes, does not require any prior preparation and is performed under local anesthesia.
Indications and contraindications for punch biopsy
Of course, the main indication for performing a punch biopsy is the suspicion of skin malignant neoplasm. This procedure makes it possible to establish a correct diagnosis in a short period of time and to start a treatment course as soon as possible.
But punch biopsy can be used to diagnose other (non-oncological) skin lesions:
- chronic undifferentiated dermatosis;
- skin amyloidosis and sarcoidosis;
- chronic fungal skin lesions;
- lupus;
- autoimmune skin lesions and others.
There are few situations when a punch biopsy may be contraindicated. They include:
- patient has diseases accompanied by problems with blood coagulation;
- active inflammatory changes, rash at biopsy site;
- allergy to drugs used for local anesthesia;
- pregnancy.
Also, in some cases, it is necessary to cancel certain medications that patient is taking, for example, anticoagulants, before performing a punch biopsy.
At Maimonides Medical Center in Ivano-Frankivsk punch biopsy of skin neoplasms is performed only by experienced dermatologists and oncology dermatologists. After material collection it is possible to send the sample for testing to the best pathohistological laboratories in Israel, USA and Germany, because the accuracy and speed of diagnosis are the key to successful treatment.
