Use of a specimen-evaluation device for the diagnosis of impalpable breast lesions detected by mammography.
OBJECTIVE
To describe a method for accurate excision and exact histopathological diagnosis of impalpable breast lesions, considered suspicious of carcinoma, and detected on mammographic examination alone.


METHODS
Eight-five patients referred with a suspicious but impalpable mammographic lesion underwent preoperative radiological localisation followed by surgical excision biopsy. Specimen radiology with a radiolucent acrylic compression-grid specimen-evaluation device confirmed that the lesion had been excised. By use of the grid coordinates, exact histopathological examination of the radiological area of suspicion was carried out to provide a definitive pathological diagnosis.


RESULTS
Twenty-eight patients (33%) were found to have invasive carcinoma or extensive intraduct breast carcinoma requiring further surgical and adjuvant management. Nineteen of these patients (68%) had no axillary node metastases.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of an acrylic compression-grid specimen-evaluation device in the diagnosis of suspicious mammographic breast lesions facilitates confirmation of excision by specimen radiology, and expedites accurate histological examination of suspicious radiological lesions.
Ramsey-Stewart
G
G
Royal Prince Alfred Medical Centre, Newton, NSW.
Lauer
C S
CS
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D002285:Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness