Palpable breast masses: is there a role for percutaneous imaging-guided core biopsy?
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to evaluate percutaneous imaging-guided core biopsy in the assessment of selected palpable breast masses.


METHODS
Of 1388 consecutive breast lesions that had percutaneous imaging-guided core biopsy, 155 (11%) were palpable. Palpable masses referred for percutaneous imaging-guided core biopsy included lesions that were small, deep, mobile, vaguely palpable, or multiple. Biopsy guidance was sonography in 140 lesions (90%) and stereotaxis in 15 (10%). Surgical correlation or minimum of 2 years follow-up is available in 115 palpable masses in 107 women. Medical records, imaging studies, and histologic findings were reviewed.


RESULTS
Of 115 palpable breast masses, 98 (85%) were referred by surgeons to the radiology department for percutaneous imaging-guided core biopsy and 88 (77%) had percutaneous imaging-guided core biopsy on the day of initial evaluation at our institution. Percutaneous imaging-guided core biopsy spared additional diagnostic tissue sampling in 79 (74%) of 107 women, including 57 women with carcinoma and 22 women with benign findings. Percutaneous imaging-guided core biopsy did not spare additional tissue sampling in 28 women (26%), including 15 women in whom surgical biopsy was recommended on the basis of percutaneous biopsy findings and 13 women with benign (n = 7) or malignant (n = 6) percutaneous biopsy findings who chose to undergo diagnostic surgical biopsy.


CONCLUSIONS
Percutaneous imaging-guided core biopsy is useful in the evaluation of palpable breast masses that are small, deep, mobile, vaguely palpable, or multiple. In this study, percutaneous imaging-guided core biopsy spared additional diagnostic tissue sampling in 74% women with palpable breast masses.
Liberman
L
L
Department of Radiology, Breast Imaging Section, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Ave., New York, NY 10021, USA.
Ernberg
L A
LA
Heerdt
A
A
Zakowski
M F
MF
Morris
E A
EA
LaTrenta
L R
LR
Abramson
A F
AF
Dershaw
D D
DD
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods*; D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010173:Palpation; D011859:Radiography; D014463:Ultrasonography