Needle biopsy? how does a needle biopsy work? why would some one get a needle biopsy?

A : A needle biopsy is performed to determine if a lump under the skin is due to a condition that requires treatment with medication or other therapy such as radiation therapy. A needle biopsy is performed by advancing a thin needle into a lump under the skin or into an organ such as the liver under local anesthesia. It is not common to do needle biopsies on internal organs other than the liver. Sometimes a needle biopsy may be done with the assistance of x-ray or imaging techniques such as ultrasound scans or magnetic resonance imaging. The cells obtained are placed on a slide and stained and examined by a pathologist with a microscope. If the needle obtains a cylinder of tissue, the tissue is processed by the laboratory so that the pathologist can examine it with a microscope. Why? This procedure is much less risky than having a surgical procedure and large biopsy that requires general anesthesia. Very often, an answer can be obtained with the technique of needle biopsy. If the answer is not satisfactory, an open surgical biopsy is then necessary.

Needle Biopsy.: Large bor needle is inserted into the object of interest then removed with a piece of tissue remaining inside the needle. A needle biopsy is cheaper, faster, generally safer and sometimes the only alternative to major surgery. In medicine we always try to do the least invasive and dangerous test first.