title: Sonographically guided directional vacuum-assisted breast biopsy: preliminary experience in Venezuela.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of sonographically guided directional vacuum-assisted biopsy in the histologic diagnosis of breast lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-eight lesions in 83 women underwent sonographically guided 11-gauge directional vacuum-assisted breast biopsy during a 26-month period. Biopsies were performed using high-resolution sonography equipment with a 7.5-MHz transducer, obtaining a median of 17 specimens per lesion. Imaging studies, medical records, and histologic findings were reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median patient age was 48 years (range, 25-78 years). Median lesion size was 1.2 cm (range, 0.4-2.5 cm). Twenty-four (27.3%) of 88 lesions were palpable. The median time required to perform biopsy was 17 min (range, 10-40 min). Complete removal of the lesion seen at sonography occurred in 78 (88.6%) of 88 lesions and was significantly more frequent in lesions measuring 1.5 cm or less than in larger lesions (68/71 = 95.8% vs 10/17 = 58.8%,p < 0.0003). A surgical procedure was spared in 79 (95.2%) of 83 women. In 36 lesions with imaging and clinical follow-up after sonographically guided biopsy with benign findings (range, 4-24 months; median, 11.3 months), we found no evidence of cancer or scarring in the breast.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our small series, sonographically guided directional vacuum-assisted biopsy was a fast and accurate method for breast diagnosis. This technique resulted in complete removal of 95.8% of lesions shown at sonography measuring 1.5 cm or less and spared a surgical procedure in 95.2% of women. Further work is necessary to refine indications, evaluate cost-effectiveness, and assess long-term outcome.
authors.affiliation: Ceclines, Av. Libertador, Edificio Siclar, PB, Urb. La Florida 1050, Caracas, Venezuela.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Perez-Fuentes
authors.forename: I R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Longobardi
authors.forename: V F
authors.initials: VF
authors.lastname: Acosta
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Marin
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liberman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014618:Vacuum; D014687:Venezuela