title: Pathologic assessment of non-palpable probably benign breast masses at sonography: can instant intervention be avoided and is follow-up adequate?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the pathologic results, determine the negative predictive value of non-palpable probably benign lesions at ultrasound and asses whether follow-up is adequate and immediate biopsy can be avoided.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four hundred and eight cases which were referred to our breast imaging unit between 2004 and 2008 for biopsy evaluation were enrolled into the study. Two hundred and thirteen probably benign solid masses are classified as BI-RADS 3 in 205 of the enrollees. All masses were sonographically detectable and were classified through the guidelines of BI-RADS lexicon for sonography before the final pathological examination. All pathologic results were evaluated and the negative predictive value, false negativity rate and 95% confidence interval were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 213 masses, fine needle aspiration cytology was performed in 120. US-guided wire localization and eventual surgery were carried out in the remaining 93 masses. Finally, 211 of the punctured lesions turned out to be benign and only two malignant lesions were detected. The resulting negative predictive value was found to be 99.1% while the false negative rate value was 0.9%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With the results provided, we think that in the patients with sonographically detected probably benign breast lesions, short-term follow-up seems to be a strong alternative to immediate biopsy with its reliable high negative predictivity as well as low false negativity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, S.B. Ankara Diskapi Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. yucecun2000@yahoo.com
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yücesoy
authors.forename: N Aydin
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Oktay
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oztürk
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oktay
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hücümenoğlu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alper
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hekimoğlu
mesh_terms: D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016217:Ultrasonography, Mammary / Q000379:methods*