Percutaneous excisional biopsy of impalpable breast lesions under ultrasound visualization

Within the last ten years, the development of innovative minimally invasive breast biopsy technologies has made a significant impact on the diagnostic evaluation of impalpable breast lesions. The Mammotome minimally invasive biopsy system is a diagnostic tool used under stereotactic or ultrasound guidance. The minimally invasive biopsies for 143 impalpable breast lesions in 86 patients were performed using the B-ultrasound-guided 8-gauge vacuum-assisted Mammotome system at Jinan Military General Hospital. One hundred and forty-three breast lesions in 86 patients were excised completely using this method. The average biopsy procedure time was 17 min (range, 3-45 min). Clinically, suspicious lesions were satisfactorily confirmed by this system. One hundred and twenty-one lesions were diagnosed as fibroadenoma, nineteen lesions as breast adenosis, one lesion as invasive breast cancer, and two lesions as ductal carcinoma in situ. Skin ecchymosis was found in two patients. One hundred and thirty-two impalpable lesions were completely excised, as demonstrated by the follow-up ultrasound examination. The results suggest that the B-ultrasound-guided Mammotome system may be an efficient tool for the diagnosis and treatment of impalpable breast lesions.