title: MR imaging-guided axillary node biopsy for breast cancer: initial findings.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness and feasibility of preoperative sentinel node needle biopsy of the breast under guidance of open MR imaging, a method that we developed. Nine patients with breast cancer in whom the axillary lymph nodes were not palpable underwent preoperative sentinel node needle biopsy under real-time MR imaging guidance. The sentinel nodes were identified before the biopsy using CT and MR imaging. Diagnostic ability of this method was compared with that of the operative diagnosis. Sentinel nodes were correctly identified in all 9 patients. The MR imaging-guided sentinel node needle biopsy was performed for all of the 9 patients, and, in 7 (77.8%) of the 9, a specimen sufficient for pathologic evaluation was obtained; and in 6, whether malignancy existed was precisely diagnosed. No serious complications were noted. This experience indicates the possibility of a precise diagnosis of whether the sentinel node in breast cancer is benign or malignant without surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamigyo, 602-8566 Kyoto, Japan. yamagami@koto.kpu-m.ac.jp
authors.forename: Takuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamagami
authors.forename: Sachiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yuen
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sawai
authors.forename: Tsunehiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishimura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001365:Axilla; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome