title: Interval mammography after needle localization biopsy of breast abnormalities that are pathologically benign.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Needle localization biopsy is commonly performed for the diagnosis of mammographic abnormalities. Routine specimen radiography is generally recommended, but the value of routine short-interval postbiopsy mammography has not been analyzed.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a retrospective review of 299 consecutive localized biopsies in 286 women from March 1989 to November 1993. Of these biopsies, 217 from the basis for this study; all yielded a benign pathologic diagnosis and had both specimen radiography and 3-month interval mammograms performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 192 (88%) of postbiopsy mammograms were interpreted as negative, while 22 (10%) were suspicious. Three patients had second biopsies and all had benign diagnoses, 16 had follow-up mammograms that were interpreted as normal or stable, and 3 patients were lost to follow-up. A suspicious postbiopsy mammogram had no significant relationship to initial mammographic abnormality or pathologic diagnosis, but did correlate with specimen radiograph interpretation (P = 0.02) by chi-square comparison).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In a series of needle localization biopsies with intraoperative specimen radiography, postbiopsy mammography failed to reveal any missed cancers. Short-interval follow-up mammography is unnecessary to assess for residual abnormalities when specimen radiography confirms excision of the abnormality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, Knoxville, USA.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Gwin
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Hudson
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Bell
mesh_terms: D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D008327:Mammography; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors