A cervical biopsy is a procedure to remove a sample of the cervix so the tissue can be examined under a microscope. A cervical biopsy is usually done to investigate areas of abnormal tissue found during a Pap test, HPV test, or colposcopy.

The amount of cervical tissue removed depends on the method used.

• A simple cervical biopsy, sometimes called a punch biopsy, removes a small piece of tissue from the surface of the cervix.
• An endocervical biopsy (endocervical curettage) removes tissue from high in the cervical canal by using a brush or scraping with an instrument.
• An excisional biopsy of the cervix is a more extensive form of a cervical biopsy that removes a cone-shaped wedge of tissue from the cervix.