Five Common Tests and Procedures That Are Performed in Dermatology

Are you in need of tests for your skin to rule out particular diseases?  Do you suspect that you are suffering from a skin infection or disease?  When you visit your dermatologist, they may collect skin samples and send them to their labs for diagnostic dermatopathology in Pittsburgh, PA.  These facilities work to properly test and diagnose skin disorders, diseases, and infections.  Dermatologists are trained to perform these common and popular tests on the skin.

Mole Removals

Dermatologists often remove moles that are cause for concern.  Most of the time, they can do this in their practice and only needing to use local anesthetic to numb the area around the mole they wish to remove.  Moles that are tested and returned as malignant will need to be removed before their cells spread throughout the body.  Moles are often removed as a preventative measure to stopping any cancerous cells from forming.

Patch Testing

Patch testing is more commonly known as allergy testing that is done by placing many different patches on the patient's back to test for any reactions to certain triggers.  Contact allergens are placed on the patient's back, and then the skin is assessed roughly 48 hours later to notice any inflammation, rash, or other sign of allergic reactions.  

Skin Scrapings

Skin scrapings are used to test for fungal infections and scabies, which can be caused by mites burrowing under your skin.  Fungal infections range from athlete's foot to ringworm, and they are easily transferred from person-to-person just like scabies.  Skin scrapings are taken from the area around the lesion and sent to the lab to be tested.

Tzanck Testing

This type of testing is done to test for viral diseases that can affect the skin, such as herpes.  Dermatologists remove part of the blister or lesion for further examination and testing.  Using a special type of stain on the tissue slide will allow a particular color to show up, therefore indicating that the patient is indeed suffering from a viral disease.

Skin Biopsies

Some of the most common types of tests that are done by dermatologists are skin biopsies.  These range in levels of intensity depending on the suspected illness or disease.  Sometimes, skin cells from the outermost layer of the skin are removed, which can be done quickly.  However, other skin biopsies may require incisions or deeper layers of the skin tissue to be removed.  Your dermatologist will recommend the least invasive biopsy possible to get the right diagnoses.

These are some of the tests that are done by dermatologists in order to diagnose certain skin disorders, infections, or illnesses.  Often times, they will take cell samples from the skin and send them to their labs specializing in diagnostic dermatopathology in Pittsburgh, PA.  Contact us to hear about our testing capabilities and services today.