[Possibilities of ultrasonic examination of the mammae (author's transl)]

1,344 women were examined in the course of 3 years by means of the ultrasonic system Multiplanar MS 3 which was coupled direct to the skin. This direct coupling to the skin of the breast and the freely mobile sound head enable immediate puncture of tumours of the breast in direct ultrasonic vision. In multiple cysts it will be possible to puncture all cysts--including the occult ones--in one session. In the first 229 examined tumours, the rate of accuracy of the diagnosis "cyst" was 98%. Successful punctures, including the non-palpable cysts, were effected down to a minimum volume of 0.1 ml. The problem of the nonpalpable cysts can be considered as solved from the sonographic angle. In our case, this entailed omission, and hence saving in cost, of every third biopsy of the mammae (approximately 200 out of 600 biopsies per annum).