The Vasculitides
© Dirk Biddle
1.8.1.8 Other Biopsy Types
Other biopsies that may be performed to aid in the diagnosis of various conditions include:
- Abdominal wall fat pad biopsy (to test for amyloidosis),
- Biliary tract (to distinguish between primary tumours and those that have metastasised [spread] from another location, and to determine if a growth is malignant),
- Bladder (to check for cancer of the bladder or urethra),
- Bone (to distinguish between benign and malignant bone tumours and to identify other bone abnormalities),
- Bone marrow (to evaluate whether systemic diseases are present in the bone marrow),
- Breast (the only way to determine if tissue is benign or malignant),
- Ureteral retrograde brush cytology (to obtain a specimen of kidney [renal pelvis or calyx] or ureter tissue when x-ray [or other test] shows a lesion in this area or when there are suspicious cells in the urine),
- Carpel tunnel (performed when the diagnosis of amyloidosis is suspected in a patient with symptoms consistent with carpal tunnel syndrome),
- Cervical punch (performed when a pap smear indicates significant abnormalities or when an abnormal area is seen on the cervix during a routine pelvic examination),
- Colposcopy (low-power microscope aided cervical examination performed after a positive Pap smear to identify the abnormality),
- Cold knife cone (performed when results of a cervical biopsy indicate precancerous cells in the area or cervical cancer. A cold knife biopsy may also be done if the cervical biopsy has not revealed the cause of an abnormal Pap smear),
- Endometrial (to determine the cause of abnormal menstrual periods [heavy, prolonged, or irregular bleeding], bleeding after menopause, or bleeding associated with taking hormone replacement medications. It can be used to screen for endometrial cancer. The test is sometimes used as part of the diagnostic work-up of women who have been unable to become pregnant [infertility]),
- Gingiva (performed when examination of the mouth reveals abnormal-appearing gum tissue),
- Heart (Myocardial - performed routinely after heart transplantation to detect potential rejection. It may also be performed when cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, cardiac amyloidosis, or other heart disorders are suspected),
- Liver (helps diagnose a number of liver diseases. The biopsy also helps in the assessment of the stage [early, advanced] of the liver disease. This is especially important in hepatitis C infection. Liver biopsies occasionally are done to check for signs of damage in people receiving methotrexate for rheumatoid arthritis),
- Lymph node (to help determine the cause of lymph node enlargement [swollen glands]. It may also determine whether tumours in the lymph node are cancerous or non-cancerous),
- Mouth or throat (to find the cause of a sore [lesion] in the throat),
- Nasal mucosa (performed when abnormal tissue is seen during examination of the nose. It may also be done when problems affecting the mucosal tissue of the nose are suspected),
- Open pleural (This procedure is used when a larger sample is needed than can be obtained by a pleural needle biopsy. The procedure is done when no body fluids are in the pleura or when a direct view of the pleura and the lungs is necessary),
- Parathyroid (performed to confirm the cause of hyperparathyroidism),
- Polyps (performed to determine if the growth is malignant),
- Rectal (to determine the cause of abnormal growths found on anoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, or other tests. It can also be used to confirm the diagnosis of amyloidosis),
- Salivary gland (performed to confirm the presence of Sjogren's syndrome, or to determine the cause of lumps or abnormal growths of the salivary glands), Thyroid (to diagnose thyroid disease or thyroid cancer),
- Small bowel (to help diagnose diseases of the small intestines),
- Synovial membrane (helps diagnose gout, bacterial infections, or other infections and may suggest the presence of inflammatory conditions such as autoimmune disorders),
- Testicular (to determine the cause of male infertility when a semen analysis suggests that there is abnormal sperm and other tests have not determined the cause. Testicle biopsy may also be performed when testicular self-examination has revealed a lump),
- Tongue (to determine the cause of abnormal growths, lesions, or suspicious-appearing areas of the tongue. It may be used to help diagnose conditions such as amyloidosis or tongue cancer), and
- Upper airway (may be done when your doctor thinks there may be a problem or defect. It may also be done as part of a bronchoscopy when defects are in the upper airway as well as the lung tissue) (1).
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