title: Sonographic appearance and ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy of breast carcinomas smaller than 1 cm3.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to review the sonographic appearance and the results of ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsies of a series of 49 breast carcinomas smaller than 1 cm3. No tumor was found to be hyperechoic. Contours were irregular in 69% of cases. In 53%, an echogenic rim was present, and the echotexture was nonhomogeneous in 41%. Sound beam attenuation was present in 39%. The ratio of longitudinal diameter to anteroposterior diameter ranged from 0.67 to 2.25 (mean, 1.08 +/- 0.28). Fine-needle aspiration biopsy under continuous real-time sonographic guidance was performed on 36 patients and yielded 30 positive and four suspicious results (sensitivity, 94%), one inadequate specimen, and one false-negative result. With high-resolution hand-held transducers, breast sonography can depict small carcinomas and provides accurate, cost-effective guidance for fine-needle aspiration biopsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030.
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Fornage
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sneige
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Faroux
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Andry
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016217:Ultrasonography, Mammary