The key difference between biopsy and endoscopy is that biopsy involves taking a small sample of body tissue and examining it under a microscope, while endoscopy involves looking inside the body using a long, thin tube with a camera.
Biopsy and endoscopy are two medical procedures doctors routinely use to examine the body and diagnose important diseases such as cancers. Both medical procedures are sometimes performed synchronously. One well-known example is an endoscopic biopsy, which is the main method of obtaining a tissue sample from a primary tumor.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Biopsy
3. What is Endoscopy
4. Similarities – Biopsy and Endoscopy
5. Biopsy vs Endoscopy in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Biopsy vs Endoscopy
What is a Biopsy?
A biopsy is a medical procedure that involves taking a small sample of body tissue so that it can be examined under a microscope. In the biopsy procedure, a tissue sample can be taken from almost anywhere on or in the body, including the skin, organs, and other structures. The term biopsy refers to both the act of taking the sample as well as the tissue sample itself. Normally, a biopsy may be used to investigate functional abnormalities (such as kidney or liver problems) and structural abnormalities (such as swelling in a particular organ). After the tissue sample is examined under a microscope, abnormal cells can be identified, helping to diagnose a specific condition. Biopsies can be used to diagnose cancer, inflammation (liver hepatitis) or kidney (nephritis), infections such as in lymph nodes (tuberculosis), and various skin conditions.
Figure 01: Biopsy
Moreover, there are different types of biopsies, including punch biopsies, needle biopsies, endoscopic biopsies, excision biopsies, and preoperative biopsies. Most biopsies will only require local anaesthetic, which means patients do not need to stay in the hospital overnight. Furthermore, the results are often available within a few days. In addition, a biopsy is sometimes inconclusive. In that case, a biopsy may need to be repeated, or other tests may be required to confirm the diagnosis.
What is an Endoscopy?
An endoscopy is a procedure used in medicine to look inside the human body. An endoscopy uses an endoscope to look at the interior of a hollow organ or cavity of the human body. Unlike other medical imaging techniques, endoscopes are inserted directly into the organ. There are different types of endoscopy techniques, which include esophagogastroduodenoscopy, enteroscopy, colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, magnification endoscopy, anoscopy, proctoscopy, rhinoscopy, bronchoscopy, otoscope, cystoscopy, gynoscopy, colposcopy, hysteroscopy, falloposcopy, laparoscopy, arthroscopy, thoracoscopy, amnioscopy, fetoscopy, and epiduroscopy.
Figure 02: Endoscopy
Endoscopy is used to investigate symptoms in the digestive tract such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, difficulty swallowing, and gastrointestinal bleeding. It is also used together with biopsy in the diagnosis of anemia, bleeding, inflammation, and cancers of the digestive system. Moreover, this procedure is also used for various treatments, such as cauterization of a bleeding vessel, widening a narrow esophagus, clipping off a polyp, or removing a foreign object. Furthermore, endoscopy is also involved in other non-medical fields such as internal inspection of complex technical systems (borescopes), pre-visualization of scale models of proposed buildings and cities (architectural endoscopy), examination of improvised explosive devices by bomb disposal personnel, and conducting surveillance via tight spaces in law enforcement.
What are the Similarities Between Biopsy and Endoscopy?
- Biopsy and endoscopy are two medical procedures doctors routinely use to examine the human body.
- They are widely used in hospitals.
- Both procedures are used to diagnose important diseases such as cancers
- They are sometimes performed synchronously, for example, endoscopic biopsy, which is a method to obtain a tissue sample from the primary tumor.
What is the Difference Between Biopsy and Endoscopy?
A biopsy is a medical procedure that involves taking a small sample of body tissue and examining it under a microscope, while endoscopy is a medical procedure to look inside the body with the help of a long, thin tube with a camera inside known as an endoscope. This is the key difference between biopsy and endoscopy. Furthermore, biopsy has only medical uses, while endoscopy has both medical and non-medical uses.
The following table summarizes the difference between biopsy and endoscopy.
Summary – Biopsy vs Endoscopy
Biopsy and endoscopy are two medical procedures that are routinely done in hospitals to examine the human body to diagnose various diseases. Biopsy involves taking a small sample of body tissue so that it can be examined under a microscope. Endoscopy looks inside the body by the help of a long, thin tube with a camera inside known as endoscope. This is the key difference between biopsy and endoscopy.
Reference:
1. Hoffman, Matthew. “Biopsy: Types, What to Expect, and Uses.” WebMD.
2. “Endoscopy.” NHS Choices, NHS.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Needle Breast Biopsy” By Bruce Blaus – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Diagram showing an endoscopy CRUK 098” By Cancer Research UK – Original email from CRUK (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia