title: Ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy for breast tumors: needle guide versus freehand technique.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We retrospectively studied whether a needle guide is necessary when performing ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (US-FNAB) in patients with breast tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 47 patients (50 lesions) with breast tumors underwent US-FNAB with a needle guide and 127 patients (143 lesions) underwent the procedure without a needle guide (freehand biopsy). The diagnoses obtained by US-FNAB were compared with the surgical findings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sensitivity of freehand biopsy for tumors < 3 cm in diameter was significantly higher than that of the needle guide technique.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We recommend performing US-FNAB without a needle guide (freehand biopsy) in order to maximize the correct preoperative diagnosis rate, especially in patients with tumors < 3 cm in diameter.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hatada
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ichii
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamamura
mesh_terms: D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014463:Ultrasonography