[Histologic changes after stereotactic 11-Gauge directional vacuum assisted breast biopsy for mammary calcification:...

II Gauge directional large core vacuum assisted biopsy has been used recently in the etiological diagnosis of microcalcifications. The objective of our work was to summarize the histological modifications resulting from vacuum biopsies observed on 31 surgical specimens issuing from a series of 109 biopsies performed over a 15-month period for malignant and borderline lesions. Histological modifications attributable to vacuum biopsies, scar tissue and displacements, were searched for in all cases. Scar tissue was seen as granulations, inflammation and hemorrhagic tissue associated or not with fat necrosis and/or foreign body giant-cell reaction. Displacements were seen as movements of injured tissue generally in the vicinity of scar tissue or vascular channels. Scar tissue was identified in all cases, presenting as star-shaped tissue measuring 12.8 mm on the average. Five displacements of either benign or malignant epithelia or of lymphovascular channels were observed (16% of the specimens). Scar tissue seen on surgical specimens indicates the location of the mammotome cut and confirms correctly directed surgery. It is particularly important to identify scar tissue because the lesions are nonpalpable and difficult to localize, or may have been totally removed at the initial biopsy. Displacements can be mistaken for infiltrating carcinoma or lymphatic invasion and must be carefully localized. They seem to be less frequent after vacuum biopsy.