Ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy of non-palpable breast lesions: a prospective analysis in 204 cases.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the diagnostic value of ultrasound (US)-guided 14 G core needle breast biopsy in non-palpable suspicious breast lesions.


METHODS
From August 1997 to April 2001, 198 patients with 204 suspicious non-palpable breast lesions underwent US-guided large core needle biopsy. Biopsies were performed with a free-hand technique using US equipment with a 7.5 MHz linear-array transducer; a minimum of three cores were obtained from each lesion. Pathological findings in US-guided core biopsy were correlated to findings in subsequent surgery or long-term (more than 2 years) imaging follow-up.


RESULTS
Among the 204 non-palpable breast lesions for which histopathological findings were obtained by US-guided core biopsy, 118 were malignant (114 carcinoma, 2 metastasis, 1 lymphoma, and 1 malignant phyllodes tumor) and 86 were benign (4 carcinoma and 82 benign lesions confirmed at surgery or after at least 2 years of follow-up). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for diagnosis of malignancy in our series were 97%, 100%, 100%, and 95%, respectively. Diagnostic yield with 1, 2, 3, and 4 specimens per lesion was 73.5%, 88%, 94%, and 97.5%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
US-guided core needle biopsy is a sensitive percutaneous biopsy method for diagnosing non-palpable breast lesions. To achieve a high diagnostic yield, a minimum number of three cores per lesion is advisable.
Bolívar
A Vega
AV
Radiology Department, Hospital Universitario, Marqués de Valdecilla, Santander, Cantabria. racvba@humv.es
Alonso-Bartolomé
P
P
García
E Ortega
EO
Ayensa
F Garijo
FG
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016217:Ultrasonography, Mammary