[Percutaneous core-needle biopsy of palpable breast tumors. Do we need ultrasound guidance?].
BACKGROUND
Percutaneous core-needle biopsy is widely accepted for preoperative histologic assessment of suspicious breast lesions. The purpose of this study was to asses the impact of continuous sonographic guidance on diagnostic accuracy of large core needle biopsy of palpable breast lesions.


METHODS
We analysed 170 breast lesions in a retrospective study. Percutaneous breast biopsies were performed by using a biopsy gun with 14-gauge needles. Eighty-eight biopsies were performed under continuous ultrasound guidance (group II) and 82 biopsies without ultrasound documentation of the procedure (group I). Core needle diagnoses were compared with the patients final tissue diagnosis as based on surgical excisional biopsy.


RESULTS
In patient group I, 17 lesions were categorized as core breast biopsy cancer misses (sensitivity 79 %). The sensitivity in this group showed an obvious dependency on tumor size. Among the 17 false negative lesions, 13 lesions were 3 cm in mean diameter or smaller. Two false negative findings occurred in group II (sensitivity 98 %), with a tumor size of 0.5 and 1.0 cm.


CONCLUSIONS
Sonographic guidance is indispensable to ensure adequate diagnostic accuracy for core-needle biopsy of palpable breast lesions.
Lorenzen
J
J
Abteilung für Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie. lorenzen@uke.uni-hamburg.de
Welger
J
J
Lisboa
B W
BW
Riethof
L
L
Grzyska
B
B
Adam
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000295:instrumentation*; D001940:Breast / Q000473:pathology; D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016217:Ultrasonography, Mammary / Q000295:instrumentation*