title: [Experience with more than 200 cases of breast biopsy after preoperative spatial localization without radiostereotaxic equipment].
abstract: The use of mammography as a screening examination has considerably increased our ability to detect non-palpable breast lesions less than 1 cm phi. A conclusive diagnosis frequently requires surgical biopsy. However, breast lesions can be localized prior to surgical biopsy by placing a wire in the lesion, with/without the use of stereotaxic equipment. Our method for lesion localization consisted in acquiring two orthogonal radiographs (cranio-caudal and latero-lateral) centered on the nipple. We used 20-21 G needles, 6-10 cm long, with curved-end wire. Mammographic findings possibly suggesting cancer were: microcalcifications, nodules, spiculated opacities, and architectural distortions. From January 1987 to January 1990, 223 patients were submitted to needle localization of breast lesions under mammographic guidance and without stereotaxic equipment. Sixty-seven cases (30%) were positive for malignancy, with a 2.3:1 benign/malignant ratio. Patients' age ranged 30-70 years, but most of them were 50-60 years old. No significant complications were observed: in one case only the hook wire broke, within breast parenchyma, which was at any rate resected together with the surgical specimen.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Scienze Radiologiche, C. Bompiani, Università, Sassari.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Simonetti
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Meloni
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Puoti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Conti
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Profili
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cossu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gadeddu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged; D011300:Preoperative Care