Preface

It is with pleasure that I present this book, Skin Biopsy – Diagnosis and Treatment.

Skin Biopsy– Diagnosis and Treatment is a collection of six chapters. The initial chapter on Site Selection by Maria Azul Montani and Gisela Vaglio Giors illuminates the importance of site selection as means of optimizing the utility of skin biopsy in the diagnosis of various dermato‐ logical diseases and in many instances it is a therapeutic intervention and is useful in monitor‐ ing the response to therapy. This is the first article to explore such a topic is depth.

The next five chapters encompass the application and role of skin biopsy to the overall diag‐ nosis of certain conditions. An accurate diagnosis allows for an up to date discussion on the treatment of these complex conditions as the pathogenesis and the histologic findings are evolving and the therapeutic options are concomitantly emerging. Khitam Al-refu describes in detail the technique of scalp biopsy and its role in the diagnosis of non-scarring and scar‐ ring alopecia. Olga Bohn et al. reveal the clinical manifestations, histopathology, immuno‐ profile, electron microscopic and molecular features of Langerhans cell neoplasms of the skin, a field, which is rapidly evolving with the advances in technological applications used in the skin tumors. I review and update the reader on the epidemiology, nosology, diagnos‐ tic criteria, pathogenesis, and treatment of Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal nec‐ rolysis, Drug Reaction Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms/Drug Induced Hypersensitivity Syndrome, and acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis that comprise severe cutaneous adverse reactions. With Jamma Li, I provide the latest review on the pathogenesis, histology, and treatment options for pemphigus vulgaris and foliaceus. Mark Schifter writes the final chapter by lending his expertise to the classification, pathogenesis, histology and treatment for oral lichen planus.

I am grateful to the other authors for their excellent contributions to this book. I am incredi‐ bly indebted to the InTech team for all their efforts in making this publication possible and widely accessible to the interested public. In particular, I would like to thank Ana Pantar from InTech for her tireless dedication, organisation, patience and faultless assistance in the preparation of this book.

> **Suran L. Fernando** Royal North Shore Hospital and Sydney Medical School, Sydney University Sydney, Australia

**Chapter 1**

**Site Selection**

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/55638

**1. Introduction**

**2. Body**

Maria Azul Montani and Gisela Vaglio Giors

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

biopsies, and principally in which sites can be applied.

dependent and dependent on the skin lesion.

Skin biopsy is a fundamental method to correct diagnosis in lots of skin diseases. To make a "good use" of it, it is necessary to know at what time, to whom it can be done, how many

Once choosing the biopsy site, it must be taken into account several factors that depend on the patient and the type of lesion concerned. Also, it should be considered the elementary type of

Within the type of lesions, there are certain diseases that have special features when the

The skin biospies are extremely useful not only for diagnosis, but also for monitoring, therapy

In recent times there have been studies that are used in skin biopsies for the diagnosis and /or follow up of non-dermatological diseases, such as neuropathies and intravascular lymphoma B cells. In these diseases there are not typical or no typical cutaneous lesions. Therefore, it is in these cases when we ask where it would be the most suitable site to take the biopsy.

The selection of the site of biopsy depends on two factors which can be classified as: patient-

Among the factors are patient-dependent which we describe as sex, age, skin type and reception of treatments for the condition we are evaluating. Sex and age differences implicate

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© 2013 Montani and Giors; licensee InTech. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

© 2013 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution,

lesion, the depth of it, and the indemnity of the skin as well as other factors.

evaluation and sometimes they are the treatment itself for certain skin diseases.

physician decide make biopsy such as pigmented lesions and alopecia.
