Skin biopsy protocol
Please follow the protocol for performing and sending skin biopsies to King’s College Hospital Department of Clinical Neuropathology.
1. Phone us in advance
Contact Neuropathology Laboratory at King’s College Hospital on 020 3299 1957 at least 24 hours before performing the biopsy and give a rough time when it is being taken and the patient’s name. If there is no answer, then phone the department office on 020 3299 1955 and leave a message. The department is open from 8.30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Please telephone the department as soon as possible to notify them of any changes or cancellations.
2. How to take biopsies
Unless specifically indicated/contra-indicated by the patient’s condition the 3mm punch biopsy of the skin should be obtained from the leg (10cm above the external malleolus).
3. How to package and transport the sample
Immediately immerse the biopsy into freshly prepared 2% PLP fixative in a universal container and prepare the sample for immediate transportation to the laboratory by courier. A letter explaining the clinical details, plus any other useful information, must accompany the sample.
Samples must be packed carefully to meet legal requirements. Fixed human tissue can be classed under the category of non-pathogenic or inactivated human tissue and can be transported as ‘Exempt Human Specimens’. The packaging must consist of:
- A primary receptacle.
- A leak-proof secondary packaging.
- An outer packaging with minimum dimensions of 100x100mm and marked ‘Exempt Human Specimens’.
It is the sender’s responsibility to comply with these regulations. Fixative kits which include suitable packaging are available on request.
Mark the package as:
‘Urgent sample from {insert department and hospital} for Department of Clinical Neuropathology, 1st Floor, Academic Neuroscience Centre, King’s College Hospital, Foundation NHS Trust, Denmark Hill, London SE5 9RS. Telephone: 020 3299 1957’
Tell the courier that the Academic Neuroscience Centre is located on Denmark Hill. There is a buzzer entry system and they will need to press the button marked ‘Clinical Neuropathology’. The secretary will then direct them to the laboratory on the first floor. Please phone the laboratory on 020 3299 1957 when the courier has left your hospital. If the courier has difficulty finding the department, or nobody answers the buzzer, they should phone the laboratory for local directions or so someone from the laboratory can meet them at the entrance to the building.
Contact us
If you have any difficulties or questions, in the first instance contact Peter Bannister or Philip Green on 020 3299 1957. Alternatively, phone Lawrence Doey, Laboratory Manager, on 020 3299 1951.