“New pigmented lesion on the palm of my hand that I need to get biopsied. How much skin can be removed from the palm of the hand without requiring a skin graft?”
Gender: Male
Age: 26
Height: 6'0
Weight: 160 lbs
I noticed a small pigmentation on the palm of my hand around 6 months ago, and have been watching it closely since. It has grown from 2.5 mm to 3 mm and is somewhat displaying a ridge pattern. I want to get it biopsied. I have had other moles biopsied in the past, but never on the palm of my hand. My preferred biopsy method is an excisional removal so the pathologist can be certain there are no atypical or malignant cells on the border of the lesion.
To do an excisional removal with slight margins on this lesion though would likely necessitate removing around 4z4 mm or 5x5 mm of skin. Can this much skin be removed from the palm of the hand and simply be stitched up or bandaged? Or given the skin on the palm of the hand is tighter would it require a small skin graft?
Also, how deep can one go with a biopsy on the palm of the hand without potentially damaging nerves or other structures?
Age: 26
Height: 6'0
Weight: 160 lbs
I noticed a small pigmentation on the palm of my hand around 6 months ago, and have been watching it closely since. It has grown from 2.5 mm to 3 mm and is somewhat displaying a ridge pattern. I want to get it biopsied. I have had other moles biopsied in the past, but never on the palm of my hand. My preferred biopsy method is an excisional removal so the pathologist can be certain there are no atypical or malignant cells on the border of the lesion.
To do an excisional removal with slight margins on this lesion though would likely necessitate removing around 4z4 mm or 5x5 mm of skin. Can this much skin be removed from the palm of the hand and simply be stitched up or bandaged? Or given the skin on the palm of the hand is tighter would it require a small skin graft?
Also, how deep can one go with a biopsy on the palm of the hand without potentially damaging nerves or other structures?
3 Answers
That amount of skin removal is well tolerated in the palm. Usually dermatology will either do that procedure or provide the recommendation of how big the biopsy needs to be. The biopsy does not typically go deep enough to put the nerves or other structures at risk.
I would suggest seeing a Dermatologist for biopsy.
It depends on the exact location. However, that size can be left open without skin graft and it will heal well.
Harrison B. Solomon, M.D.
Harrison B. Solomon, M.D.
