Ultrasound fusion biopsy

Ultrasound (US)-guided biopsy is widely used for the diagnostic confirmation of focal lesions. For sampling of prostate tissue, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)/US fusion-guided biopsy has already been implemented in routine clinical practice and has shown a superior detection rate of significant prostate cancer in risk assessment compared with standard systematic biopsy. Newer three-dimensional software tools with volumetric mapping of the prostate and biopsy core channels provide a better overview of systematic biopsy and thus contribute to more accurate treatment planning. Automatic fusion is a time-saver and can reduce potential examiner errors through greater standardization of the fusion process itself.

In abdominal pathologies, US fusion biopsy can improve the rate of successful tissue sampling by using fused imaging to target lesions that are barely visible or difficult to delineate on B‑mode US scans. In addition, solid portions within larger tumors with enhancement on contrast-enhanced US can be targeted selectively, thereby avoiding sampling of necrotic areas and improving the quality of tissue cores for histopathological work-up.

Especially in complex situations, use of US fusion not only saves time but also improves sampling accuracy, which in turn reduces the rate of insufficient tissue specimens that necessitate repeat biopsy.