Overview
By inserting a needle within a skin lesion, fluid or pus can be aspirated and sent to the laboratory for examination. The results may indicate a bacterial or fungal skin infection which then determines the course of treatment.Review Date 10/31/2016
Updated by: Kevin Berman, MD, PhD, Atlanta Center for Dermatologic Disease, Atlanta, GA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Isla Ogilvie, PhD, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.