March 4, 2023

In pathology, an excision refers to the surgical removal of a piece of tissue from the body. This procedure is commonly performed to remove abnormal tissue, such as a tumor or an area of infection, and can be done for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. In a diagnostic context, an excision may be carried out to obtain a tissue sample for examination under a microscope by a pathologist, which can help in diagnosing diseases or conditions. Therapeutically, excision is used to remove diseased or potentially harmful tissue from the body to treat a condition or prevent its progression.

Types of excisions

There are various types of excision procedures, including:

• Biopsy: A small section of tissue is removed for diagnostic examination. This can be considered an excisional biopsy if the entire lesion is removed.
• Local excision: Removal of a tumor and a small margin of surrounding healthy tissue, typically used for small or localized lesions.
• Wide excision: Involves removing the tumor along with a larger area of surrounding healthy tissue to ensure no malignant cells are left behind. This is often used in cancer treatment.
• Mohs surgery: A precise technique used particularly for skin cancers, where thin layers of cancer-containing skin are removed and examined until only cancer-free tissue remains.

The specific approach to excision depends on various factors, including the type, size, and location of the tissue or tumor being removed, as well as the overall health of the patient.

Clinical significance

Pathological examination of the excised tissue plays a critical role in providing diagnostic information, such as the type of cells present, whether a tumor is benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous), and, in the case of cancer, the tumor margins (whether the tumour has been completely removed). This information is important for determining the need for further treatment, such as additional surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy, and for predicting the likely course of the disease.

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About this article

Doctors wrote this article to help you read and understand your pathology report. Contact us if you have questions about this article or your pathology report. For a complete introduction to your pathology report, read this article.

Other helpful resources

Atlas of pathology