Prospective Comparative Study to Evaluate the Sonographic Visibility of Five Commercially Available Breast Biopsy Markers

The demand for highly sonographically visible breast biopsy markers is growing as an increasing number of physicians are using sonography for preoperative localization and single-step intraoperative ultrasound-guided excisional procedures. The objective of this study was to directly compare the sonographic visibility of five commercially available breast biopsy site markers. A single-site prospective comparative study was performed with 25 female participants, each assigned to receive one of five biopsy markers. Postdeployment, 6-week, and 12-week follow-up sonographic images were obtained and a survey was e-mailed to members of the Society of Breast Imaging asking them to grade marker visibility on a 1- to 5-point Likert-type scale. At the time of deployment, the SecurMark (Hologic, Bedford, Massachusetts) was rated with the highest sonographic visibility. At both 6 and 12 weeks after deployment, the HydroMARK (Biopsy Sciences, Clearwater, Florida) was found to be the most visible by sonography. The results can be used by physicians who require highly sonographically visible breast biopsy markers for ultrasound-guided interventional procedures. Further research is needed as biopsy marker manufacturers continue to refine their products.