Localisation of occult breast lesion: a comparative analysis of hookwire and radioguided procedures

For occult breast lesions, to retrospectively compare the performance of radioguided and hookwire methods in terms of ease of localisation and surgical procedures, and the ability to obtain a specimen with a clear margin. Retrospective study. Regional hospital, Hong Kong. All patients who underwent occult breast lesion localisation by either ultrasonography- or stereotactic-guided radioguided occult lesion localisation or hookwire localisation from August 2003 to December 2007 were included. Demographic data, localisation and operation procedure time, size of specimens and margin clearance. In all, 165 patients (mean age, 52 years) having these procedures were assessed. In 98 instances, the procedure (hookwire=53, radioguided=45) was for diagnostic purposes and in 67 (hookwire=23, radioguided=44) for therapy. Both techniques attained a very high success rate (>95%). For radioguided occult lesion localisation, there was a significantly shorter mean localisation time than for hookwire localisation (18 min versus 31 min; P