Purpose: We wished to determine the usefulness of ultrasound-guided vacuum-assisted biopsy (mammotome) for the removal of the breast lesions that had displayed benign evidence on sonography.
Methods: During an 11 month period, vacuum-assisted breast biopsy was performed for 186 probably benign lesions on sonography using 11-gauge (127 cases) and 8-gauge (59 cases) devices. The age of the patients ranged from 19 to 65 years, and the size of the lesions ranged from 0.4 to 3 cm. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical findings and medical history of the patients who underwent vacuum- assisted breast biopsy, and we then evaluated the complications, the histopathologic results, and the follow-up US findings.
Results: Of the 186 cases, the lesions were palpated in 95 cases (51%), and lesions were detected in women during a screening examination in 40 cases (36%), and lesions were detected in women having a history of benign breast biopsy or having a cancer operation in the remaining 18 cases (10%). Severe bleeding during or after the procedures was noted in 4 cases (2.2%). The lesions were pathologically proved as benign in 185 cases and malignant in 1 case. With vacuum-assisted breast biopsy, high-risk benign disease was found in 7 cases, but none of the lesions was pathologically upgraded on the subsequent open surgical biopsy. On the 3-month follow-up US, variable sized hematomas were observed in 6 of 24 cases (25%). We performed incidental treatment on four of the vacuum- assisted breast biopsy patients for nipple discharge that was caused by intraductal papilloma.
Conclusion: US-guided vacuum-assisted breast biopsy is a minimally invasive, fast and convenient biopsy technique. In addition, it is safe and accurate to use for the histological diagnosis because it would remove all the sonographically demonstrated evidence of a probable benign lesion. This technique can potentially be a useful alternative to some forms of surgical biopsy for the properly selected patients.
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