Mucosal biopsy
Printable VersionMucosal biopsy
Mucosal skin biopsy is the removal of a small piece of skin or mucous membrane. The sample can be retrieved in several ways: a shave biopsy (scraping or shaving a thin layer), a punch biopsy (using a needle or punch to obtain a small, but deeper, sample), or an excision of tissue (cutting to remove a piece of tissue). The sample is sent to the laboratory to isolate and identify organisms that cause infection.
Review Date: 12/3/2007
Reviewed by: D. Scott Smith, MD, MSc, DTM&H, Chief of Infectious Disease & Geographic Medicine, Kaiser Redwood City, CA & Adjunct Assistant Professor, Stanford University. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
Back
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC,
also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC'saccreditation
program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorousstandards of quality and
accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health
information andservices. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorialpolicy,
editorialprocess,
and privacypolicy.
A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net
Foundation (www.hon.ch.)
The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or
for the diagnosis or treatmentof any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted
for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to
other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of thoseother sites.
©1997-2006 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication ordistribution of the
information contained herein is strictly prohibited.