[Surgical treatment of nonpalpable mammographic abnormalities using guidewire localization]

Mammography remains the recommended method of detecting nonpalpable breast lesions. With increasing use of mammography as a screening and diagnostic modality for breast disease, more needle-localized biopsies are being performed. Preoperative localization of lesions detected by mammography enables the surgeon to resect affected breast tissue more accurately. The surgical biopsy should be a 1-step procedure with wide local excision. If it reveals malignancy, further surgical treatment should be planned, based on the clinical and pathological data. In our prospective study biopsies with localization were performed in 68 women; in 21 (30.9%) malignancy was found: solitary duct cell carcinoma in situ in 10 (multifocal in 4), duct cell carcinoma in situ with microinvasion in 3, and invasive carcinoma in 8. Lobular cancer was not found. Treatment consisted of mastectomy in 10 and breast conservation surgery in 11. Further studies are needed to clarify issues involved in surgical management of carcinoma-in-situ.