TY - JOUR T1 - Obtaining an Adequate Specimen for the Diagnosis of Pigmented Lesions JF - The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine JO - J Am Board Fam Med SP - 523 LP - 525 DO - 10.3122/jabfm.2015.04.150043 VL - 28 IS - 4 AU - Alyson Snyder AU - Sara E. West AU - Christopher M. Miles AU - Steven R. Feldman Y1 - 2015/07/01 UR - http://www.jabfm.org/content/28/4/523.abstract N2 - Melanoma is a common, potentially deadly disease but is curable if caught early. A specimen of a pigmented lesion must capture the entire width and depth of the lesion to evaluate the lesion's size, symmetry, and circumscription. Saucerization shaving, punching, and excision biopsy are 3 techniques that can be used to achieve a satisfactory specimen. Physicians should have a low threshold to biopsy a suspicious atypical pigmented lesion, but acceptable specimens are key in following through with an accurate diagnosis. ER -