Introduction

• Skin biopsy may be a valuable tool when investigating dermatologic disorders; it provides a definitive diagnosis in a variety of skin conditions, and their correct categorization.

Print off the factsheet Samples - how they help your vet to give to your clients.

Uses

• If a lesion has an unusual aspect.
• If a dermatological condition does not improve after medical treatment.
• To diagnose neoplasia Cutaneous neoplasia.
• To diagnose pyoderma Skin: pyoderma.
• To distinguish between a neoplastic and inflammatory lesion.
• To obtain a diagnosis before undergoing surgical excision.
• When cytology is not diagnostic or inconclusive.
• To confirm a diagnostic suspicion.
• In cases of pruritus when parasitic, allergic or infectious causes have been ruled out.
• When keratinization defects are present.
• Infection with Treponema Treponema cuniculi, myxoma virus Myxoma virus, papilloma Papilloma virus and fibroma virus Shope fibroma virus.
• Metastatic skin lesions, eg mammary adenocarcinoma Mammary gland: carcinoma.
• To diagnose immune-mediated and some endocrine diseases.

Advantages

• If cytology is inconclusive, a skin biopsy allows harvesting of enough tissue to allow evaluation of cell interface and architecture.
• Can be obtained in various ways.

Disadvantages

• Most animals require sedation, local and/or general anesthesia.
• Higher morbidity/mortality than less invasive procedures.
• Must be obtained early in course of disease before chronic inflammatory changes occur.
• Exercise caution if:
  • Bleeding disorders or concurrent medication affecting bleeding.
  • Immunosuppressed animals: rare (may be wound healing problem).
  • Local anesthesia Anesthesia: overview: injecting lidocaine Lidocaine with epinephrine Epinephrine near extremities and into patients with circulatory disorders.

Requirements

Preparation

Procedure

Aftercare

Outcomes

Prognosis

• Good for healing of biopsy site.

Further Reading

Publications

Refereed papers

• Recent references from PubMed and VetMedResource.
• Benato L (2019) Guide to skin diseases in rabbits. In Pract 41 (10), 488-496 VetMedResource.
• Bhowmik A, Mallick Sinha M G & Barman D C (2015) Role of fine needle aspiration cytology in the diagnosis of skin and superficial soft tissue lesions: A study of 510 cases. Turk Patoloji Derg 31 (3), 200-205 PubMed.
• Falk K J, Eshar D, Higbie C T et al (2015) Diagnostic challenge. Pedunculated growths on rabbit ears. J Exotic Pet Med 24 (3), 372-375 VetMedResource.
• Quinton J F, Prélaud P, Poujade A et al (2014) A case of actinic keratosis in a rabbit. J Exotic Pet Med 23 (3), 283-286 ScienceDirect.
• Selleri P, Di Girolamo N, Vögtlin A et al (2014) Cutaneous lesions in pet rabbits following subcutaneous administration of a novel bivalent vaccine against myxomatosis and rabbit haemorrhagic disease. Vet Derm 25 (6), 563-566 PubMed.
• Benato L, Stoeckli M R et al (2013) A case of antibacterial-responsive muco-cutaneous disease in a seven-year-old dwarf lop rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) resembling mucocutaneous pyoderma in dogs. J Small Anim Pract 54 (4), 209-212 PubMed.
• Kanfer S & Reavill D R (2013) Cutaneous neoplasia in ferrets, rabbits and guinea pigs. Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract 16 (3), 579-598 PubMed.
• Palmeiro B S & Roberts H (2013) Clinical approach to dermatologic disease in exotic animals. Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract 16 (3), 523-577 PubMed.
• Campbell T W (2007) Basics of cytology and fluid cytology. Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract 10 (1), 1-24 PubMed.
• von Bomhard W, Goldschmidt M H, Shofer F S et al (2007) Cutaneous neoplasms in pet rabbits: A retrospective study. Vet Pathol 44 (5), 579-588 PubMed.
• Harvey C (1995) Rabbit and rodent skin diseases. Semin Avian Exotic Pet Med 4 (4), 195-204 ScienceDirect.

Other sources of information

• Meredith A (2014) Dermatoses. In: BSAVA Manual of Rabbit Medicine. Eds: Meredith A & Lord B BSAVA, UK. pp 255-263.
• Varga M (2014) Neoplasia. In: BSAVA Manual of Rabbit Medicine. Eds: Meredith A & Lord B. BSAVA, UK. pp 264-273.
• Varga M (2014) Skin Diseases. In: Textbook of Rabbit Medicine. Butterworth Heineman, Elsevier Ltd, UK. pp 271-302.