Which biopsy procedure involves sampling a portion of a lesion while leaving the rest intact?

• A. Incisional biopsy
• B. Excisional biopsy
• C. Punch biopsy
• D. Curettage

Answer: (A)

Sampling a portion of a lesion while leaving the rest intact is done with an incisional biopsy. This approach is chosen when the lesion is large or its borders are unclear, so a small, representative piece is removed for histopathology while the remaining tissue is preserved for clinical monitoring or future treatment. It provides enough diagnostic information from the portion removed without sacrificing the entire lesion.

The other methods involve removing more tissue or sampling differently: an excisional biopsy removes the entire lesion, which is useful for small, easily removable lesions and can serve as both diagnosis and treatment; a punch biopsy uses a circular blade to take a small cylindrical sample, usually from superficial mucosa, which may not capture deeper pathology; curettage involves scraping the lesion away and is less reliable for obtaining a representative diagnostic specimen and can compromise tissue architecture.