chapter 4 Obtaining a Diagnostic Biopsy............................
DEFINITION/OVERVIEW
The skin biopsy is one of the most important diagnostic tools available.
Three factors are key to obtaining a diagnostic biopsy: site selection, tissue handling,
and a qualified dermatopathologist.
There are a number of recognized dermatopathologists available through a variety of
commercial and private laboratories.
Your local board certified veterinary dermatologist(s) may be helpful in providing
names and locations of laboratories.
The art of site selection and tissue handling are the responsibility of the submitting
veterinarian.
THE DECISION TO BIOPSY
There are a number of cutaneous disorders for which the biopsy is the only helpful
diagnostic tool.
The biopsy is equally important for what appears to be a “classic case” that continues
to fail conventional therapy.
When to Biopsy
Persistent lesions
Neoplastic or suspected neoplastic disorders
Persistent scaling dermatoses
Vesicular dermatoses
Undiagnosed alopecias
Unusual dermatoses
SITE SELECTION
Proper site and lesion selection is crucial to obtain accurate information from a tissue
sample.
Blackwell’s Five-Minute Veterinary Consult Clinical Companion: Small Animal Dermatology, Third Edition.
Karen Helton Rhodes and Alexander H. Werner.
©2018 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Published 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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