title: Fibroadenoma: can fine needle aspiration biopsy avoid short term follow-up?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To confirm whether fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) can avoid close monitoring, a source of worry for women patients with a suspected fibroadenoma found by ultrasound, and requiring their compliance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Over 39months, 427 nodules with a diagnosis of fibroadenoma were sampled in 372 patients using ultrasound-guided FNAB. The sonographic appearance of all the nodules suggested BI-RADS category 3 fibroadenomas. The mean size of the fibroadenomas was 9mm. The mean duration of follow-up was 29.7months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven nodules had atypical cytology: a microbiopsy and/or excision found a simple fibroadenoma (n=3), mastitis (n=1), a fibroadenoma associated with a papilloma (n=1), fibrosis (n=1) and normal tissue (n=1). Seven other nodules were resected during treatment for synchronous cancer, and were diagnosed as fibroadenomas. Two hundred and seventy-six nodules were followed-up (121 patients were lost to follow-up [n=132]) and the appearance of 263 nodules (95.29%) was stable. Seven nodules, which had increased in size, underwent another FNAB or microbiopsy or surgery. Five nodules were not found again. The borders of one nodule showed modifications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of fine needle aspiration biopsy, interpreted by an experienced cytologist, means that short term follow-up of fibroadenomas can be avoided.
authors.affiliation: Department of radiology, cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc-université Catholique-de-Louvain, Brussels, Belgium. isabelle.leconte@clouvain.be
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Leconte
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Abraham
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Galant
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sy
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berlière
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fellah
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D018226:Fibroadenoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult