[Hand-held ultrasound-guided vacuum biopsy of mammary lesions--first experiences]

Abstract

Objective: Evaluation of indications for ultrasound guided hand-held Mammotome-biopsy.

Material and methods: To achieve breast diagnosis 50 ultrasound guided hand-held Mammotome-biopsies were performed between January 3rd and April 4th, 2000.

Results: 34 patients presented with non-palpable, 16 with palpable breast lesions. The benign-to-malignant ratio was 80% to 20%. Complete removal of the lesion we established in 22 (44%) of all 50 procedures. Definitive breast diagnosis of malignancies was achieved in all but one case.

Conclusions: We regard the ultrasound guided hand-held Mammotome-biopsy as diagnostic and surgical instrument that provides the clinician with a flexible and easy to use method of accurate breast diagnosis. Lesions too small, superficial, or deep for conventional core biopsy are indications for a ultrasound guided Mammotome-biopsy as well as abnormalities where wide sampling is considered important or small fibroadenomas. However, standard of care for breast diagnosis remains the conventional hand-held 14-gauge-core-biopsy. For malignant lesions hand held mammotomy must be regarded as a diagnostic and not a therapeutic procedure.