title: Stereotactic fine needle aspiration in the management of mammographic abnormalities detected in breast screening.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fine needle aspiration (FNA) is used routinely in the management of palpable breast lumps; with the implementation of the stereotactic technique its use has been extended to the investigation of mammographic abnormalities. The advent of breast screening means that many mammographic abnormalities will be detected; because routine open biopsy is impractical and undesirable, stereotactic fine needle aspiration becomes the method of choice for investigation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Within a 28 month interval, 81 Chinese women underwent stereotactic FNA in Kwong Wah Hospital, Hong Kong.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-one women (62.9%) had a benign cytology result and no further investigations were required. Inconclusive results were obtained in 18.6% of the aspirates. Open biopsy was required in 16 women (19.8%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Stereotactic FNA is very useful in the exclusion of malignancy and the avoidance of open biopsy in asymptomatic women who have mammographic abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kwong Wah Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gwi
authors.forename: T Y
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Yip
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001940:Breast / Q000473:pathology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000473:pathology; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000473:pathology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000473:pathology; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D008403:Mass Screening; D015641:Radiography, Interventional; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013238:Stereotaxic Techniques