Abstract
Vacuum-assisted breast biopsy (VABB) plays a fundamental role in the preoperative assessment of breast lesions pro- viding large histology samples that are useful to define diagnoses and biological parameters to guide treatment planning. This technique has been used in our institute since 2000 and two new wireless handheld ultrasound-guided VABB de- vices have been introduced since May 2012. In this report we analyze our experience with these revolutionary devices which are able to provide the option of single-insertion contiguous tissue samples respectively with a 13/14-gauge aperture. Our initial experience on 75 lesions shows that these devices are safe, fast, procedurally advantageous for operators and well accepted by patients. Finally VABB procedures can markedly reduce the need for surgical biopsy.
Highlights
Mammography and ultrasound (US) frequently reveal suspicious nonpalpable lesions that require further workup to determine their true nature
The transition from cytology to histology has been driven by the increased histological accuracy provided by larger tissue samples
In the remaining patients the initial diagnostic work-up had been based on histology (Table 1)
Summary
Mammography and ultrasound (US) frequently reveal suspicious nonpalpable lesions that require further workup to determine their true nature. This has led to the development of a number of noninvasive biopsy techniques in an attempt to reduce the need for diagnostic surgical biopsies [1]. They include fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and percutaneous biopsy performed with an automated or semiautomated (Core Biopsy-CB Tru Cut, spring-loaded system) or a directional vacuum-assisted biopsy system (VABB).
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