Page 54 - Dental Practice Vol 17 No.5_Neat

oral pathology section

HOW TO PERFORM A BIOPSY

DR. LAWRENCE (LARRY) GAUM
BIOPSY: “An examination of tissue removed from a living body to discover the presence, cause and extent of a disease.”

As a dental student, my days were filled with learning and dis-
covery of new and exciting things.
Today, in recalling these interesting days, my professors con-
tinuously reminded my classmates and myself the importance of
performing biopsies. We were never to surgically remove tissue
from the mouth and then discard and dispose it.
“Biopsy all tissue,” we were reminded. We dutifully wrote this
down in our note books and it became stamped in our minds
forever. When I finally began to practice my profession, one of
my first patients required the removal of a rather large soft tissue
lesion. I delicately and carefully removed this growth and placed
it on my surgical tray. My professor’s voice came back to me
instantly, “Biopsy, Biopsy.” “Yes,” I said to my assistant, “We
will biopsy this tissue.” “How do we do that?” my young helper
replied. I answered quickly, “ I don’t know.” And, I didn’t know.
With an embarrassing and sheepish grin, my brain began to
conjure up a series of questions.
1. Where do I put the tissue?
2. What solution do I store it in?
3. What containers do I use?
4. Where do I send it?
5. How do I send it?
6. ??????????????
I was not prepared. My professors did not prepare me or my
classmates. Today, as a teacher and one who is involved in the
educational system, I took the bull by the horns and began to
answer these questions. And thus, here is my article on Biopsies.
The whole story.
The instrumentation used for accomplishing a biopsy are:
1. Scalpel
2. Scissors
3. Biopsy punch
There are two methods utilized to perform the surgical
aspects of a biopsy.
1. Excisional: The surgical removal of the entire lesion to be FIG 1 & 2: The soft tissue Epulis, around the upper right cuspid is completely
sent for pathological examination. removed using a scalpel and scissors.
2. Incisional: The surgical removal of a portion of the lesion
to be sent for pathological examination.
The form,” Request For Biopsy Tissue Examination “is now package is now sent to the oral pathology department or laboratory of
filled out. Note that Date, Patient’s name, date of birth, sex, your choice.
address, and a detailed description of the lesion are required, as You can charge the patient for this amount or absorb the cost your-
well as a clinical diagnosis. The doctors name, address and phone self. The decision is up to your good judgment.
numbers are also required. Let me list and summarize the appropriate steps to be taken in order
The container, with the bottle and specimen, along with the to accomplish a correct and acceptable biopsy procedure.
request form, are now all placed in the envelope. The entire 1. Surgically remove the tissue growth from the mouth.
2. Store the tissue in an appropriate solution and container.

54 Dental Practice // May-June 2021 // Vol 17 No 5