What It Is A biopsy is a test that's performed to examine tissue
or cells from a part of the body. It can be done by cutting or
scraping a small piece of the tissue or by withdrawing a sample
of tissue with a needle and syringe. Sometimes, needle biopsies
are done in a radiology department so the tissue can be seen
with an ultrasound or CAT scan (also called a CT scan or
computed axial tomography scan) to show exactly where to insert
the needle. Other biopsies may be done by inserting a tiny
telescope into the body, such as an endoscope into the esophagus
and stomach, or a laparoscope into the belly. Other times,
surgery might be required to reach an organ that needs to be
biopsied (called an open biopsy). Why It's Done Doctors order
biopsies when they're concerned about a problem in a particular
organ. A biopsy is performed to look for a disease or condition
such as an infection, inflammation, or cancer. Some commonly
biopsied organs include bone marrow, liver, kidney lymph nodes,
skin, esophagus, stomach an