Percutaneous endoscopy-guided biopsy of an intracystic tumor with a mammary ductoscopy

Intracystic abnormalities of the breast may result from debris, intracystic papilloma, or rarely breast cancer. Intracystic tumors cannot be diagnosed based on imaging examinations or fine needle aspiration alone, and therefore excisional biopsy must be performed. We have treated many cases who had nipple discharge with mammary ductoscopy since 1992, and we have used this method to diagnose intracystic tumors. An endoscope was inserted into the cyst percutaneously, and the intracystic tumor was biopsied using forceps. Six intracystic tumors were biopsied with the endoscope. Four of six cases were cancer, and two were benign papillomas. We were able to visualize and accurately biopsy intracystic tumors of the breast using mammary ductoscopy.