The utility of skin biopsies in pediatric cancer patients: a single-institution, retrospective review.
Medical records of all patients who were diagnosed with a malignancy and who underwent a skin biopsy were reviewed to determine the clinical utility of skin biopsies in this population. Skill biopsies resulted in a change or refinement of the prebiopsy diagnosis in 44% of patients undergoing an initial evaluation for a malignancy, 57% of patients on therapy, and 17% of patients off therapy. Skin biopsies led to a change in therapy in 26%, 34%, and 17% of each respective group. Overall, the skin biopsy changed or refined the prebiopsy diagnosis in 45% of cases and altered therapy in 38%. Skin biopsy is a clinically useful tool in pediatric oncology patients for the evaluation of cutaneous findings that elude diagnosis by visual inspection.
Walter
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EC
Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.
Hawkins
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DS
D000293:Adolescent; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology*; D014861:Washington
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents