Prospective study of intraoperative mammary ductoscopy in patients undergoing partial mastectomy for breast cancer.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to critically evaluate the added benefit of intraoperative mammary ductoscopy on margin assessment and identification of occult intraductal pathology in patients undergoing therapeutic partial mastectomy for in-situ and invasive breast carcinoma.


METHODS
Eligible patients underwent intraoperative mammary ductoscopy before partial mastectomy. In patients where an intraductal abnormality was identified and the mammary ductoscope was not within the partial mastectomy cavity, an additional ductoscopy-directed margin of tissue was analyzed.


RESULTS
Nineteen of 30 (63%) patients yielded nipple aspirate fluid and were able to undergo mammary ductoscopy; an intraductal abnormality was identified in 15 of 19 (79%) patients. Only 1 patient had an occult infiltrating carcinoma, which was outside of the resection cavity and identified by ductoscopy.


CONCLUSIONS
Although mammary ductoscopy can identify intraductal abnormalities during partial mastectomy in a significant number of patients, many of these findings may be either benign or within the standard field of resection, thus adding no benefit to the patient.
Department of General Surgery, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 9500 Euclid Ave., Desk A80, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA. kimj@ccf.org
Julian A
JA
Kim
Joseph P
JP
Crowe
Joanne
J
Woletz
Annette
A
Dinunzio
Tricia
T
Kelly
Jill R
JR
Dietz
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004724:Endoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007430:Intraoperative Care; D015412:Mastectomy, Segmental; D011446:Prospective Studies