Vacuum-assisted breast biopsy of microcalcificationson the stereotactic prone table and comparison of thehistopathologic diagnosis with mammographic features

Abstract

Aim: Breast cancer is one of the most important causes of mortality and morbidity in women. With the widespread use of screeningmammography, the detection of non-palpable suspected cancerous lesions is increasing. Therefore, the use of vacuum-assistedbreast biopsy in the management of breast lesions continues to increase. The aim of this study was to evaluate the histopathologicalresults of suspicious microcalcifications which were diagnosed by vacuum-assisted needle biopsy on a stereotactic prone table andto compare the mammographic features of the microcalcifications with the histopathological results.Materials and Methods: The study included a total of 119 patients with a median age of 51 years (range, 33-77 years) who underwentstereotactic biopsy on a prone table because of suspicious microcalcifications between March 2010 and July 2014. Retrospectiveevaluation was made of the preoperative mammographic features, and the BI-RADS (Breast imaging-reporting and data system)scores of the microcalcifications and the vacuum biopsy and / or excisional histopathological results.Results: Stereotactic vacuum-assisted breast biopsy revealed that 52.1% of the lesions were benign and 47.9% were malignant. Aftervacuum-assisted stereotactic biopsy 61 patients underwent surgery. In 10 of these (16.3%) the final excisional histopathologicaldiagnosis was benign, and in 51 (83.7%) malignancy was determined.Conclusion: Vacuum-assisted breast biopsy on a stereotactic prone table is a successful technique with a low failure rate formicrocalcifications that are non-palpable and have no ultrasonographic findings.