Clip or marker migration 5-10 weeks after stereotactic 11-gauge vacuum-assisted breast biopsy: report of two cases

Two women, aged 50 and 51 years, underwent stereotactic, 11-gauge vacuum-assisted biopsy from the cranial approach of small lesions in the upper outer quadrant of the right breast with removal of lesions that were detected with mammography. Postbiopsy mammograms showed the metal clip or marker at the biopsy sites in both patients. Histologic analysis of both lesions indicated atypical hyperplasia. Mammograms obtained prior to surgical excision showed caudal z-axis migration of the clip or marker to be 6.5 cm at 5 weeks and 4.5 cm at 10 weeks, respectively. By ignoring the clip or marker that had migrated to an inaccurate location and by using internal and external breast landmarks to guide presurgical excision needle localization, the biopsy sites were successfully excised in both patients.