A
biopsy is a
medical test commonly performed by a
surgeon,
interventional radiologist, or an
interventional cardiologist involving
sampling of
cells or
tissues for examination. It is the medical removal of tissue from a living subject to determine the presence or extent of a disease. The tissue is generally examined under a
microscope by a
pathologist, and can also be analyzed chemically. When an entire lump or suspicious area is removed, the procedure is called an
excisional biopsy. When only a sample of tissue is removed with preservation of the
histological architecture of the tissue’s cells, the procedure is called an
incisional biopsy or
core biopsy. When a sample of tissue or fluid is removed with a needle in such a way that cells are removed without preserving the histological architecture of the tissue cells, the procedure is called a
needle aspiration biopsy. Biopsies are most commonly performed for insight into possible cancerous and inflammatory conditions.