MRI-guided breast biopsy at 3T using a dedicated large core biopsy set: feasibility and initial results.
OBJECTIVE
The increasing importance of breast MRI in the diagnostic processes concerning breast cancer yield often lesions that are visible on MRI only. To assess the nature of these lesions, pathologic analysis is necessary. Therefore, MR-guided biopsy should be available. Breast MRI at 3T has shown advantage over 1.5T. Unfortunately, current equipment for MR-guided biopsy is better suited for intervention at 1.5T due to the danger of heating titanium co-axial sleeves and large susceptibility artifacts. We evaluated a dedicated 3T breast biopsy set that uses plastic coaxial needles to overcome these problems.


METHODS
We performed MRI-guided breast biopsy in 23 women with 24 MRI-only visible breast lesions at 3T. Biopsy procedures were performed with plastic coaxial needles in a closed bore 3T clinical MR system on a dedicated phased array breast coil with a commercially available add-on stereotactic biopsy device.


RESULTS
Width of the needle artifact was 2mm in all 24 cases. Biopsy procedure was completed between 35 and 67 min. The procedure was judged moderately easy in 12 and normal in 10 cases. One procedure was judged difficult and there was one technical failure.


CONCLUSIONS
MRI-guided breast biopsy at 3T is a fast and accurate procedure. The plastic coaxial needles reduce the susceptibility artifact largely and do not increase the difficulty of the procedure. The diagnostic yield is at least equal to the diagnostic yield of the same procedure at 1.5T. Therefore, this technique can be safely used for lesions only visible at 3T MRI.
Meeuwis
Carla
C
Department of Radiology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Geert Grooteplein-Zuid 10, 6525GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands. cmeeuwis@alysis.nl
Mann
Ritse M
RM
Mus
Roel D M
RD
Winkel
Axel
A
Boetes
Carla
C
Barentsz
Jelle O
JO
Veltman
Jeroen
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016477:Artifacts; D001706:Biopsy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D003287:Contrast Media; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053783:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Interventional / Q000379:methods*; D008536:Meglumine; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D013997:Time Factors; D016217:Ultrasonography, Mammary
D003287:Contrast Media; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D008536:Meglumine; C072417:gadoterate meglumine