| Reasons for Procedure | Possible Complications | What to
Expect | Call Your Doctor A skin biopsy is a procedure where a
small piece of abnormal skin is removed for testing. There are
three main types of skin biopsies: - Shave biopsy—outer part of
affected area is removed. - Punch biopsy—a small cylinder of
skin is removed using a punch tool. - Excisional biopsy—an
entire area of abnormal skin is removed. Copyright © Nucleus
Medical Media, Inc. Reasons for Procedure A skin biopsy is used
to test an area of abnormal skin. If possible the entire area
will be removed during biopsy. A skin biopsy may be done to
diagnose: - Bacterial, viral, or fungal infections or benign
skin growths Inflammatory skin disorders, such as Skin biopsy
may also be done to: - Make sure a tumor was completely
removed—by testing remaining skin - Monitor the effect of a
treatment Complications are rare. However, no procedure is
completely free of risk. If you are planning to have a skin
biopsy, your doctor will review a list of possible