Ultrasonography as a Guiding Method in Breast Micro-Calcification Vacuum-Assisted Biopsies.

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Oncology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Breast micro-calcifications are often detected via mammography.
• Assessing these micro-calcifications requires accurate diagnostic methods.
• Vacuum-assisted biopsy (VAB) is a common procedure for sampling micro-calcifications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the visibility of breast micro-calcifications using ultrasonography (US).
• To compare the accuracy and clinical utility of US-guided VAB (USVAB) versus stereotactic VAB (SVAB).

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 158 cases with micro-calcifications examined by US before VAB.
• Calculation of pre-biopsy US positivity rates.
• Comparison of VAB histology with surgical pathology or 12-month follow-up to determine sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy.

Main Results:

• US detected micro-calcifications in approximately 50% of cases (80/158).
• USVAB showed higher sensitivity (97% vs. 83%) and overall accuracy (98% vs. 94%) compared to SVAB.
• Both USVAB and SVAB demonstrated high specimen radiography confirmation rates (98%).

Conclusions:

• Ultrasonography is a viable method for visualizing a significant portion of mammographically detected micro-calcifications.
• USVAB is a reliable alternative to SVAB for micro-calcification biopsy, offering comparable diagnostic accuracy and technical success.