Immersion ultrasonography of excised nonpalpable breast lesion specimens after ultrasound-guided needle localization.
OBJECTIVE
Ultrasound-guided needle localization has been used prior to the surgical excision of nonpalpable breast lesions. The aim of the study was to assess the feasibility of the use of a saline immersion specimen ultrasound technique (immersion-US) to confirm the successful removal of breast lesions.


METHODS
The devised immersion-US technique was used to examine the excised tissues of 72 ultrasound-guided needle localized breast lesions of 58 patients (34 benign lesions, 30 high-risk lesions and 8 malignant lesions). Freshly excised specimens were placed in a container filled with saline and one radiologist scanned the surgically excised specimens using a high-frequency linear transducer. We evaluated successful lesion removal and the qualities of the immersion-US images. Miss rates were determined by the use of postoperative ultrasound during follow-up.


RESULTS
All 72 lesions were identified by the use of immersion-US and satisfactory or excellent quality images were obtained for most lesions (70/72, 97%). Five (7%) lesions were initially identified as incompletely excised, based on the immersion-US findings, and prompt re-excision was undertaken. Follow-up ultrasound examinations showed no residual mass in the surgical field in any patient.


CONCLUSIONS
The immersion-US technique was found straightforward and efficient to perform. Immersion-US was able to determine whether nonpalpable breast lesions had been successfully excised after ultrasound-guided needle localization.
Lee
Ki Yeol
KY
Department of Radiology, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Gyeonggi-do, Korea.
Seo
Bo Kyoung
BK
Yi
Ann
A
Je
Bo-Kyung
BK
Cho
Kyu Ran
KR
Woo
Ok Hee
OH
Kim
Mi Young
MY
Cha
Sang Hoon
SH
Kim
Young-Sik
YS
Son
Gil Soo
GS
Kim
Young Soo
YS
D000328:Adult; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007101:Immersion; D008327:Mammography; D008408:Mastectomy; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*; D016217:Ultrasonography, Mammary / Q000379:methods