Bone Biopsy
Biopsy, Bone
Why It Is Done
A bone biopsy is done to:
- Confirm the diagnosis of a bone disorder (such as Paget's disease, a disease that may look like bone cancer, or bone cancer) that was found by another test, such as an X-ray, CT scan, bone scan, or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.
- Tell the difference between a noncancerous (benign) bone mass, such as a bone cyst, and bone cancer, such as multiple myeloma.
- See what is causing a bone infection (osteomyelitis) or if an infection is present.
- Find the cause of ongoing bone pain.
- Check bone problems seen on an X-ray.
An open bone biopsy allows your doctor to do surgical treatment at the same time, if needed.
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| Author: | Jan Nissl, RN, BS | Last Updated: December 4, 2006 |
| Medical Review: | Patrice Burgess, MD - Family Medicine Joseph O'Donnell, MD - Hematology/Oncology | |
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| Topic Contents | |
| Test Overview | |
 | Why It Is Done |
| How To Prepare | |
| How It Is Done | |
| How It Feels | |
| Risks | |
| Results | |
| What Affects the Test | |
| What To Think About | |
| References | |
| Credits | |