What is a skin biopsy for psoriasis?
If you notice any skin changes, a skin biopsy can be a way to diagnose whether or not it's psoriasis. In this video, dermatologist Ellen Marmur, MD, explains the simple procedure.
Transcript
Or sometimes people get what looks like a raindrop splatter along their body. And that's associated-- that is a type of psoriasis
that's associated with something kind of serious. [MUSIC PLAYING]
Red rashes on the body could be one of many, many different things but it's very important to know exactly what's going on in your own body.
And a diagnosis using a biopsy is the best way to do that a skin biopsy sounds very scary.
But don't be scared. It's a tiny little injection of lidocaine using a tiny needle. So that feels like a mosquito bite.
But then we put it right inside that little red dot of the psoriasis, numb it-- takes about five seconds to numb--
and then we take a little bit of that skin and send it into the laboratory where it's very easy to diagnose psoriasis under the microscope.
So if you have some new rashes anywhere in the body-- it could be in the underarm area, in the groin area,
or it could be big red plaques along the body. Elbows and knees are classic places for like a red, thick plaque of psoriasis
with a silvery white scale on top. Or sometimes people get what looks like a raindrop splatter along their body.
And that's associated-- that is a type of psoriasis that's associated with something kind of serious. So go to your doctor, allow them to do a tiny skin biopsy.
It should take two minutes or less and really only feel like a mosquito bite. And then it takes about a week for you to get the results.
Once you get the results of psoriasis, it's something that you might have ongoing your whole life, but it's easy to control now that we
have wonderful medications. So don't be afraid. Check in with your dermatologist and ask for a biopsy to confirm your diagnosis.
psoriasis
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