The role of stereotactic 11G vacuum biopsy for clarification of BI-RADS IV findings in mammography

To evaluate the potential of stereotactic vacuum breast biopsy in the histologic evaluation of suspicious mammographic findings ( BI-RADS IV). In 221 patients with 227 probable mammographic lesions categorized as ( BI-RADS -IV), stereotactic biopsies were performed with an 11-gauge vacuum-assisted biopsy device (Mammotome). The evaluation included the histology of the specimens obtained with the Mammotome or with surgery, the time for the biopsy, the amount of bleeding, number of rotations and procured specimens, the extent of the resection and the complications. The biopsies were technically successful in 214 of the 227 probable mammographic lesions, with 176 lesions mostly resected and 34 lesions removed more than 50 %. No representative tissue was obtained from 4 lesions. All biopsies were performed without any clinically relevant complications and terminated after adequate material was obtained (O 28 specimens, 2.58 rotations). The mean time needed for performing the biopsy was 40.2 minutes. The histologic findings were DCIS (42 lesions), ADH (7 lesions), LCIS (3 lesions), ID-Ca (14 lesions, IL-Ca (3 lesions), and IDL-Ca (1 lesion). In 28 of 42 lesions with the initial DCIS histology, the surgical histology was also DCIS (n=28) or no residual tumor (n=10). In 4 lesions with an initial DCIS-histology, the surgical histology was invasive ductal cancer (9.5 %). The late follow-up examinations (up to 3 years) did not find any evidence of a false negative biopsy. Stereotactic vacuum breast biopsy ideally complements existing breast biopsy methods. The method is minimal invasive with a low rate of mostly minor complications.