What you need to know about biopsies

A biopsy is a when a sample of tissues are removed from the body and examined to diagnose a condition or to determine the severity of a disease.  Anesthesia is usually required to perform the biopsy and the tissue removed is examined under a microscope by a veterinary pathologist.  In some cases, only a small sample is removed for analysis, however, in many cases, the entire area is removed.  Another procedure, called a fine needle aspiration, is used to remove a tiny amount of fluid or tissues with a syringe.

How It Works

There are several types of biopsies performed in veterinary medicine, the most common are called fine needle aspiration, incisional biopsies, and excisional biopsies.  With fine needle aspiration, a syringe and needle is used to take a sample.   With incisional biopsies,  a small sample of tissue is removed from a mass and with excisional biopsies, the entire area is removed.  Sometimes a veterinarian will do less invasive techniques like fine needle biopsies for to see what types of cells are present and then perform a more invasive procedure, like an excisional biopsy, for a more detailed information. 

What Is It Used For?

Biopsies are often used to determine if a suspicious growth is cancerous.  Examination of the tissues can also determine the severity of a disease.  For example, if an animal has liver disease, a sample of the liver can be examined microscopically to help determine the cause and the extent of the damage.

Benefits of Biopsy

Biopsies are very important to help confirm a diagnosis.  With many types of cancers, early diagnosis is helpful in determining the course of action for treatment and can also help increase the chances of survival. Biopsies can also be helpful in confirming causes of other conditions including skin lesions, kidney or liver disease, and bone marrow disease.