Punch biopsy; drawing shows a sharp, hollow, circular instrument being inserted into a lesion on the skin of a patient’s forearm. The instrument is turned clockwise and counterclockwise to cut into the skin and remove a small, round piece of tissue. A pullout shows that the instrument cuts about 4 millimeters (mm) down to the layer of fatty tissue below the skin.

Punch biopsy. A sharp, hollow, circular instrument is used to remove a small, round piece of tissue from a lesion on the skin. The instrument is turned clockwise and counterclockwise to cut about 4 millimeters (mm) down to the layer of fatty tissue below the skin and remove the sample of tissue. Skin thickness is different on different parts of the body.

From: Dictionary of Cancer Terms

Cover of PDQ Cancer Information Summaries
PDQ Cancer Information Summaries [Internet].
Bethesda (MD): National Cancer Institute (US); 2002-.
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