Which of the following is a common complication of excisions and biopsies?

• A. Hyperpigmentation
• B. Edema
• C. Dehiscence
• D. Nerve injury

Answer: (C)

Wound integrity after a skin excision or biopsy is what this item is testing. Dehiscence means the wound edges pull apart or reopen after closure. It directly disrupts healing and can lead to infection, extended healing time, and worse scarring. It happens when closure is under excessive tension, when the wound is contaminated or develops a hematoma under the sutures, or when technique doesn’t adequately relieve tension and secure layers of closure.

Hyperpigmentation can occur cosmetically after a skin procedure but isn’t a problem with the wound staying closed. Edema is a common postoperative swelling that’s typically transient and not a direct failure of wound closure. Nerve injury is possible but less common in routine excisions and biopsies of superficial skin, and it’s not the typical complication clinicians watch for most closely in these procedures.