A muscle biopsy is a smaller surgical procedure. Doctors order to help diagnose certain diseases involving muscles. During a muscle biopsy, a small piece of fabric is removed from a specific muscle. Your doctor can then analyze the muscle tissue under a microscope to decide the next steps.
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Muscle biopsies can help diagnose diseases related to problems with the nervous system, connective tissues or vascular systems. Diseases your doctor can diagnose looking at muscle tissue include:
- Muscular dystrophy
- Polymyositis
- dermatomyositis
- Organ Inclusion Myosite
- Neurogenic atrophy
- Trichinosis
- Amyotrophic side sclerosis (ALS)
Your doctor will probably ask for a biopsy. Muscle after looking at blood tests and performing a physical examination. They can also perform an electromiogram (EMG), which is a way to test your muscle response before a muscle biopsy. The results of your bloody work, EMG and physical examination help your doctor determine whether a muscle biopsy can help diagnose a neuromuscular disease.
There are two types of muscle biopsies: open and needle. A needle biopsy uses a large needle to take a piece of muscle tissue. If a larger area needs to be sampled, an open biopsy will be performed. In this procedure, a small incision is made on your skin and muscle tissue is withdrawn from there.
Before your muscle biopsy. Before the procedure, your doctor will explain to you what happens during a muscle biopsy. They will ask you to sign a consent form and make sure you are in good health. During this time, you can ask your doctor any questions you have. You should also tell them about any medications you are taking.
during biopsy. A muscular biopsy is an outpatient procedure, so there is no permanence in the hospital. Your doctor will give you an anesthetic so you do not feel any pain in the area where the fabric is being removed.
You will be prompted to lie at a table while the area being biopsy is clean. Then your doctor will give you a local anesthetic to numb the area. They then hold an open biopsy or needle biopsy. In the case of an open biopsy, your doctor will sew the biopsy site. In both cases, a bandage will be applied to keep the area clean. Your doctor will send the sample of the muscle tissue to be analyzed in a laboratory.
You should not feel any pain during a muscle biopsy. Some people may feel a sense of pulling like muscle tissue is being removed. This feeling can be more intense during an open biopsy than during a needle biopsy.
In most cases, the muscle tissue sample is removed from the thigh muscle, called quadriceps. Depending on the disease, a different muscle group can be biopsied.
After your biopsy, you can usually go home immediately. You will need someone to take you home. Once you get home, you should rest the biopsy muscle for a day or two, and make sure you keep the biopsy site clean and dry so you can cure properly.
Despite a muscle biopsy is a simple procedure, there are still risks, as with any surgery. Some possible complications that you should seek include:
- bruises and pain around the biopsy area
- Lingering bleeding in the biopsy area
- infection in the Biopsy area
There may also be specific risks related to your medical condition. Your doctor will discuss this with you.
