Sonographic changes after removing all benign breast masses with sonographically guided vacuum-assisted biopsy.
BACKGROUND
Total removal of benign breast masses by vacuum-assisted biopsy (VAB) is now increasingly accepted as a treatment option. However, little is known about whether this procedure produces early changes on follow-up sonography and, if so, how often and what factors might influence them.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate sonographic changes after total removal of benign breast masses using sonographically guided VAB and to determine the influencing factors.


METHODS
We evaluated sonographic changes prospectively 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months after biopsying 32 benign masses from which all sonographic evidence had been removed during sonographically guided directional VAB performed with 8- or 11-gauge needles. Procedural factors were documented and compared with sonographic findings.


RESULTS
At 1-week follow-up, hematomas were observed in 84% (27/32) of the lesions. After 1 month, while the hematomas had resolved in all but five lesions, focal new architectural distortion had developed in 26 (90%) lesions; 11 lesions were graded as severe, mimicking malignancy. After 6 months, 23 lesions with various degrees of architectural distortion were observed. Six of the 32 lesions (19%) contained a residual lesion. No statistically significant association between sonographic findings and procedural variables was identified, except between the degree of hematoma and lesion size.


CONCLUSIONS
The total removal of benign breast masses using sonographically guided VAB frequently produces changes on follow-up sonography after 6 months. Although these changes failed to show statistical significance with procedural factors, a larger dedicated study is needed.
Department of Radiology, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Seoul, Korea. esko@kcch.re.kr
Eun Sook
ES
Ko
Heon
H
Han
Byung Hee
BH
Lee
Du Hwan
du H
Choe
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional; D016217:Ultrasonography, Mammary; D014618:Vacuum