Accuracy Of Core Needle Biopsy Research Articles

Feasibility, efficacy, and safety of core needle biopsy as a first-line method for cervical lymphadenopathy.

This study aimed to determine the feasibility, diagnostic efficacy, and safety of ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy (CNB) as a first-line biopsy method for cervical lymphadenopathy of non-thyroid origin. This retrospective cohort study included consecutive patients with cervical lymphadenopathy in whom US-guided CNB was used as the first-line biopsy method for cervical lymph nodes (LNs) of presumed non-thyroid origin. The coaxial CNB technique was routinely used, while the tilting and hydrodissection CNB techniques were selectively employed for small high-risk LNs. The primary endpoint of this study was the diagnostic efficacy of CNB, evaluated by the rate of inconclusive results (nondiagnostic and indeterminate) and diagnostic accuracy (criterion 1: malignant results; criterion 2: malignant or indeterminate result). The secondary outcomes included the feasibility and safety of CNB, assessed based on the technical success rate and complication rate, respectively. The rates of nondiagnostic, indeterminate, and inconclusive results were 0.7%, 3.4%, and 4.1%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of CNB for malignant LNs were 96.2%, 100%, and 97.8%, respectively, with criterion 1, and these values were all 99.8% with criterion 2. The technical success rate of CNB was 99.3%. There were no major complications and 7 cases (0.6%) of minor complications (asymptomatic hematomas). CNB was technically feasible, effective, and safe as a first-line biopsy method for cervical lymphadenopathy of non-thyroid origin with high diagnostic accuracy for malignant nodal disease. Question The role of US-guided CNB as a first-line biopsy method for cervical LNs has not yet been verified and established. Findings US-guided CNB, as a first-line method, demonstrated a high technical success rate and diagnostic accuracy for malignant nodes, with few minor complications. Clinical relevance US-guided CNB can be used as an effective first-line biopsy method for cervical lymphadenopathy and will enable accurate diagnosis of malignant LNs.

Educational exchange in thyroid core needle biopsy diagnosis: enhancing pathological interpretation through guideline integration and peer learning.

While fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) plays an essential role in the screening of thyroid nodules, core needle biopsy (CNB) acts as an alternative method to address FNAC limitations. However, diagnosing thyroid CNB samples can be challenging due to variations in background and levels of experience. Effective training is indispensable to mitigate this challenge. We aim to evaluate the impact of an educational program on improving the accuracy of CNB diagnostics. The 2-week observational program included a host mentor pathologist with extensive experience and a visiting pathologist. The CNB classification by The Practice Guidelines Committee of the Korean Thyroid Association was used for the report. Two rounds of reviewing the case were carried out, and the level of agreement between the reviewers was analyzed. The first-round assessment showed a concordance between two pathologists for 247 thyroid CNB specimens by 84.2%, with a kappa coefficient of 0.74 (indicating substantial agreement). This finding was attributed to the discordance in the use of categories III and V. After peer learning, the two pathologists evaluated 30 new cases, which showed an overall improvement in the level of agreement. The percentage of agreement between pathologists on thyroid CNB diagnosis was 86.7%, as measured by kappa coefficient of 0.80. This educational program, consisting of guided mentorship and peer learning, can substantially enhance the diagnostic accuracy of thyroid CNB. It is useful in promoting consistent diagnostic standards and contributes to the ongoing development of global pathology practices.

Role of Core Needle Biopsy in Liver Metastases: A Histopathological and Immunohistochemical Approach

Abstract Background: The liver is the second most common organ involved by secondary neoplasms. Core needle biopsy of oncological patients requires an accurate histological diagnosis for the subsequent prescription of adequate management plans. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of core needle biopsy for suspected hepatic metastasis and to assess factors that influence the accuracy of the procedure. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study randomly enrolled 74 percutaneous ultrasound-guided core needle biopsies from patients with suspected hepatic neoplasm. A 16-gauge tru-cut biopsy needle was performed for all patients. Patient characteristics, procedure information, histopathology reports, and slides were collected from the Department of Histopathology at Al-Jamhorii Teaching Hospital, Mosul City, Iraq. All cases were analyzed using SPSS software, version 18.0. Results: Among 74 patients diagnosed with liver metastasis, the median age was 57 years (range 33–90 years) at the time of biopsy; of them, 61 patients (82.4%) reported a previous history of malignancy, P = 0.003. Histologically, metastatic adenocarcinoma was the most common neoplasm identified in 56 patients (75.7%), with the predominance of colorectal carcinoma. Forty-seven (63.5%) patients underwent two–five passes, which was statistically correlated with an increase in diagnostic accuracy (k = 0.21, 95% confidence interval [CI]= 0.038–1.189, P = 0.04). The overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy of tru-cut biopsies were 100%, 97.1%, 95.7%, 100%, and 98.2%, respectively. Conclusions: The core needle biopsy is a reliable and valid diagnostic option for the histological assessment of suspected liver metastasis, particularly when supplemented by ancillary immunohistochemistry.

The Accuracy of Core Needle Biopsy in Determining Histological Type and Scarff- Bloom-Richardson Grade in Invasive Breast Cancer.

This 18-month retrospective study examined the accuracy of core needle biopsy (CNB) in diagnosing histological type and Scarff-Bloom-Richardson (SBR) grade in 110 invasive breast cancer patients at Rajshree Medical Research Institute, Bareilly. The study demonstrated 89.1% histological concordance between CNB and surgical specimens, with invasive ductal carcinoma identified with excellent accuracy. However, SBR grade concordance was moderate at 77.3%, suggesting CNB may not consistently reflect tumour aggressiveness. Statistics showed great sensitivity and specificity for histological typing, but CNB results should be interpreted cautiously, especially for grading and rare subtypes. CNB is still a useful diagnostic tool, although surgical examination may be needed to confirm and arrange treatment. Keywords: Core Needle Biopsy, Invasive Breast Cancer, Histological Type, SBR Grade

Management of the Axilla After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: Can Axillary Needle Biopsy Replace Sentinel Node Biopsy?

The aim of the study was to investigate whether it is possible to evaluate the axilla after treatment without performing sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in breast cancer patients with biopsy-proven axillary lymph node metastases who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). This prospective, randomized, clinically designed study included patients with clinical T1-3 and biopsy-proven N1 breast cancer. Prior to the surgery scheduled after NAC, the patients were randomized into two groups. A biopsy sample was obtained from the clipped axillary lymph node, which was preoperatively known to be metastatic, using fine needle aspiration (FNAB) in the first group and core needle biopsy (CNB) in the second group. The predictive ability of the two biopsy methods for the SLNB results was evaluated. The study included 50 female patients with breast cancer, with a mean age of 48.4±10.72 years. In both groups, metastasis was detected in nine patients, and no metastasis was seen in 14 patients. In intergroup comparisons, all patients with metastasis in the FNAB group also had metastasis according to SLNB, while 21.4% of the cases without metastasis in this group were metastatic according to SLNB. In the CNB group, metastasis was observed in all patients with metastasis according to SLNB, while no metastasis was detected in those who were reported to have no metastasis by SLNB. The accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity values for the prediction of SLNB results were all found to be 100% for CNB, whereas they were 87%, 100%, and 75%, respectively, for FNAB. Both CNB and FNAB could potentially replace SLNB due to their high accuracy rates in evaluating the axilla after NAC. The sensitivity and accuracy of CNB were determined to be higher.

The accuracy of core needle biopsy in determining histological type and Scarf-Bloom-Richardson grade in invasive breast cancer

Core needle biopsy provides information not only on the histological diagnosis but also about tumor grade and different prognosis factors for breast cancer. This study was designed to determine the accuracy of percutaneous core needle biopsy (CNB) through comparative analysis of histological diagnosis and SBR tumor grade of invasive breast cancer between CNB and surgical excision specimen (SES). This was a retrospective cross-sectional study from January 2023 to July 2023. All patients with invasive breast cancer diagnosed by CNB and confirmed by surgical excision specimen (SES) examination were included in the study. Patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy were excluded. One twenty-three patients were assessed. All patients were female. The median age was 45 years (37 – 54). Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) was the major histological type of breast cancer (95.1%) followed by invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) (4.9%). SBR grade 2 tumors accounted for 78.1% of cases. The majority of patients presented with locally advanced stage breast cancer (65.9%) or a metastatic disease (31.7%). Concordance for histological type was substantial (k= 0.79; p<0,001) whereas it was moderate (k= 0.45; p<0,001) for Scarf-Bloom-Richardson grade. Histological type on CNB correlates almost perfectly with that of the surgical excisional specimen in case of breast cancer. Nevertheless, the agreement of tumor grade between CNB and SES remains moderate, with a significant underestimation and overestimation rates.

Diagnostic accuracy and safety of percutaneous core needle biopsy of retroperitoneal tumours

BackgroundHistologic subtype of cancer guides treatment sequencing and the extent of surgery for retroperitoneal tumours (RPTs) but concerns persist regarding percutaneous core needle biopsy (CNB). ObjectiveEndpoints were the incidence of early complications, needle tract seeding (NTS) after CNB, diagnostic accuracy. MethodsBetween 2015 and 2022, data from patients with RPT who underwent a CNB and who operated on at Institut Curie were collected. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and microscopic analysis of both CNB and surgical specimens to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of CNB (quantified using positive and negative predictive values, PPV/NPV). Results313 patients underwent CNB. In 10/326 (3 %) procedures, minor complications were observed. One of 212 (0.47 %) resected RPSs exhibited a local recurrence compatible with NTS. Microscopic analysis of CNB specimens allowed the classification of tumours between groups of cancers and benign/intermediate mesenchymal tumours in 307/313 (98 %) patients. Among the 204 patients with retroperitoneal sarcoma, the overall concordance between CNB and final pathology following resection was 178/204 (87.2 %). The respective PPVs of solitary fibrous tumour, dedifferentiated liposarcoma, leiomyosarcoma and well-differentiated liposarcoma were 100 %, 98 %, 97 % and 68 %, respectively. The diagnosis of a high-grade (G 2-3) sarcoma resulted in a high specificity (97 %) and PPV (98 %) but low sensitivity (76 %). ConclusionsCNB allowed the classification of RPT in the vast majority of patients with a low morbidity rate. Concordance with final diagnosis was high for sarcomas with the exception of well-differentiated liposarcoma. As a result, CNB results should be integrated with imaging/radiomics by multidisciplinary tumour boards.

Core Needle Biopsy Accuracy for Androgen Receptor Expression in Invasive Breast Cancer.

Breast cancer (BC) biomarkers, such as hormone receptors expression, are crucial to guide therapy in BC patients. Antiandrogens have been studied in BC; however, limited data are available on androgen receptor (AR) expression test methodology. We aim to report the core needle biopsy (CNB) accuracy for AR expression in BC. Patients diagnosed with stage I-III invasive BC from a single institution were included. Androgen receptor expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) using 1 and 10% cutoff and the AR expression in surgical specimens (SS) was the gold standard. Kappa coefficients were used to evaluate the intraprocedural agreement. A total of 72 patients were included, with a mean age of 61 years old and 84% were Luminal A or B tumors. The prevalence of AR expression in all BC samples was 87.5% using a cutoff ≥ 10% in SS. With a cutoff value ≥ 1%, CNB had an accuracy of 95.8% (Kappa value = 0.645; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.272-1.000; p < 0.001) and 86.1% (Kappa value = 0.365; 95% CI: 0.052-0.679; p < 0.001) when ≥ 10% cutoff was used for AR positivity. Androgen receptor expression in CNB (cutoff ≥ 1%) had a sensitivity of 98.5%, specificity of 60%, positive predictive value of 97.0%, and a negative predictive value of 76.9% in the detection of AR expression in SS. Core needle biopsy has good accuracy in evaluating AR expression in BC. The accuracy of CNB decreases with higher cutoff values for AR positivity.

Multiple core histopathologies for discriminative diagnosis of phyllodes pathology in breast

Background: Historical patient’s records were analyzed. Patients diagnosed with phyllodes tumors of the breast who received preoperative core needle biopsy and undergone breast surgery at a tertiary cancer centre in Patna, Bihar, India from January 2020 to December 2020. The resulting data allowed us to compare the accordance between core needle biopsy and final histopathology of phyllodes tumor of the breast patients and evaluate the accuracy of core needle biopsy in preoperative diagnosis. Methods: This is a retrospective study evaluated the case records of one hundred twenty (n=120) patients for core needle biopsy findings and subsequent histopathology reports post-surgery. Sensitivity and significance of core needle biopsy was determined for phyllodes tumor of the breast. Results: A total of one hundred twenty (n=120) patients’ data were analyzed. There were ninety (n=90) fibroadenoma and thirty (n=30) phyllodes tumor patients. Sensitivity of core needle biopsy for benign tumor was 64.2%, borderline 40% and a malignant phyllodes tumor was 100% respectively. Conclusions: Core needle biopsy provides a pathological basis for pre-operative diagnosis of phyllodes tumor, but it has a low accuracy and offers limited guidance for surgical decisions, if used alone. An integrated assessment using needle biopsies in combination with clinical data and imaging features is suggested as a reliable strategy to aid phyllodes tumor diagnosis and subsequent treatment.

Core Needle Biopsy in Lymphoma Diagnosis: The Diagnostic Performance and the Role of the Multidisciplinary Approach in the Optimization of Results.

To compare the diagnostic accuracy of core needle biopsies (CNBs) and surgical excisional biopsies (SEBs), samples of lymphoid proliferation from a single institution from 2013 to 2017 (N=476) were divided into groups of CNB (N=218) and SEB (N=258). The diagnostic accuracy of these samples was evaluated as a percentage of conclusive diagnosis, according to the World Health Organization Classification of Tumours of Haematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissues . The contribution of clinical data, the assessment of sample adequacy by a pathologist during the procedure, the number and size of fragments, the needle gauge, the ancillary tests, and the type of lymphoid proliferation were also examined. The diagnostic accuracy of SEB was 97.3% and CNB 91.3% ( P =0.010). Additional factors considered essential for establishing the final diagnosis in some cases were: clinical information (20.6% CNB, 7.4% SEB; P <0.001); immunohistochemistry (96.3% CNB, 91.5% SEB; P =0.024); flow cytometry (12% CNB, 6.8% SEB; P =0.165); and other complementary tests (8.2% CNB, 17.3% SEB; P =0.058). Factors that did not influence performance were the evaluation of sample adequacy during the procedure, the number and size of fragments, and the needle gauge. Increased percentage of nondiagnostic CNB was observed in T-cell lymphomas (30%), followed by classic Hodgkin lymphoma (10.6%). The main limitation of CNB was the evaluation of morphologically heterogenous diseases. CNB is useful and safe in lymphoma diagnosis provided it is carried out by a team of experienced professionals. Having an interventional radiology team engaged with pathology is an essential component to achieve adequate rates of specific diagnoses in CNB specimens.

Accuracy and Upgrading of CNB and BI-RADS Diagnoses Compared to Excision: A Clinicopathological-Radiological Correlation of Papillary Breast Lesions and Neoplasms.

Papillary breast lesions and neoplasms (PBLs/Ns) are diagnostically challenging lesions in both core needle biopsy (CNB) and radiology. To determine the accuracy and upgrade rate of CNB and BI-RADS diagnosis of PBLs/Ns compared to final excision diagnosis and the factors linked to upgrade. The favored CNB diagnosis and BI-RADS category for 82 PBLs/Ns were assessed based on histopathology, myoepithelial marker immunohistochemistry, mammographic/ultrasonographic findings. The radiological findings were compared to the pathological diagnoses. The accuracies of CNB and BI-RADS were compared to the excision diagnosis of the corresponding PBLs/Ns. The upgrade rates to malignancy were evaluated for both CNB and BI-RADS. The presence of solid, irregular masses in breasts with composition A/B with calcification in radiology was significantly associated with the diagnosis of suspicious/malignant CNB, and malignant excision specimens (p<0.05). CNB was more accurate (90%), sensitive and specific with high positive and negative predictive values than BI-RADS. Combined CNB/BI-RADS accuracy was 90.2%. Overall upgrade rate came up to 9.8%. Upgrade rates to carcinoma were 7.3% for CNB and 8.5% for BI-RADS. Factors linked to upgrade were the age, lesion-size, BI-RADS category 4A and C, and histopathological/radiological discordance. All the upgraded PBLs/Ns were diagnosed as benign lesions in CNB with present/focally present myoepithelial diagnosis reflecting a sampling error. Up to 9.8% of PBLs/Ns diagnosed on CNB and BI-RADS undergo upgrading upon final excision, despite the high diagnostic accuracy. These evidences should be considered for final decision on whether to excise the lesion or not.

Improving CT-guided transthoracic biopsy diagnostic yield of lung masses using intraprocedural CT and prior PET/CT fusion imaging

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of intraprocedural CT and prior PET/CT fusion imaging in improving the diagnostic yield of CT-guided transthoracic core-needle biopsy (CNB) in lung masses.MethodsIn total, 145 subjects with lung masses suspicious for malignancy underwent image-guided transthoracic CNB. According to imaging modality the subjects were divided into two groups. PET/CT images obtained no more than 14 days before the biopsy were integrated with intraprocedural CT images. The integrated or fused images were then used to plan the puncture sites. The clinical characteristics, diagnostic yield of CNB, diagnostic accuracy rate, procedure-related complications and procedure duration were recorded and compared between the two groups. Final clinical diagnosis was determined by surgical pathology or at least 6-months follow-up. The diagnostic accuracy of CNB was obtained by comparing with final clinical diagnosis.Results145 subjects underwent CNB with adequate samples, including 76 in fusion imaging group and 69 in routine group. The overall diagnostic yield and diagnostic accuracy rate were 80.3% (53/66), 82.9% (63/76) for fusion imaging group, 70.7% (41/58), 75.4% (52/69) for routine group, respectively. In addition, the diagnostic yield for malignancy in fusion imaging group (98.1%, 52/53) was higher than that in routine group (81.3%, 39/48). No serious procedure-related complications occurred in both two groups.ConclusionCNB with prior PET/CT fusion imaging is particularly helpful in improving diagnostic yield and accurate rate of biopsy in lung masses, especially in heterogeneous ones, thus providing greater potential benefit for patients.

Core needle biopsy for the diagnosis of primary soft tissue lesions: Accuracy and diagnostic challenges.

Core needle biopsy (CNB) and fine needle aspiration (FNA) are currently the most common biopsy methods for investigation of soft tissue lesions. Selection of the method to be used depends on a number of factors including diagnostic accuracy, local expertise with the techniques and the need for ancillary testing. We investigated the diagnostic accuracy of CNB and factors influencing the selection of CNB or FNA. An electronic search of the surgical pathology records for all core needle biopsies of soft tissue lesions with subsequent incisional biopsies or excisions between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2021 was performed. Searches of the literature for publications documenting diagnostic accuracy of core biopsy and FNA were performed using the Pub Med literature data base. The electronic search yielded 177 CNBs with appropriate follow-up. Six cases were non-diagnostic. The remaining 171 cases showed an accuracy of 90% for separation of benign from malignant with two false-positive and 17 false-negative diagnoses. The literature search revealed 11 series of CNBs with a diagnostic accuracy of 74% to 97%. The literature search revealed 20 series of FNAs with an accuracy of 84.8% to 100% for separation of benign from malignant. Core needle biopsy is a highly accurate diagnostic technique with an accuracy of 90% for separation of benign from malignant lesions. The percentage of non-diagnostic cases is low (3.4%). No significant biopsy related complications were seen in this study.

Comparative Study of Tru-Cut Biopsy and FNAC in A Clinically Palpable Breast Lump

Background &amp; Objective: Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is frequently used to evaluate a breast lump, for it is safe, reliable, and time saving outdoor procedure for evaluation of breast lumps. However, in recent times, the diagnosis of breast lesions has mostly become dependent on Tru-cut biopsies with a gradual reduction in the rate of performing fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). The present study was undertaken to compare the diagnostic accuracy of Tru-cut Biopsy and Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) in the evaluation of a clinically palpable breast lump.&#x0D; Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the in Department of Surgery, Rajshahi Medical College &amp; Hospital, Rajshahi, Bangladesh over a period of one year from July 2019 to June 2020. A total of 60 women with clinically palpable breast lumps were consecutively included in the study. All patients underwent FNAC and Tru-cut Biopsy to make a provisional (clinical) diagnosis of breast lump followed by histopathology of the excision biopsy taken during surgery to confirm the diagnosis. The diagnostic accuracies (sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values) of the two diagnostic modalities (FNAC and Tr-cut Biopsy) were then judged by comparing them with the histopathological diagnosis of the excision biopsy.&#x0D; Result: In the present study majority (86.7%) of the lesions was malignant in terms of histopathology with almost all being infiltrating carcinoma (98%). Only 8(13.3%) cases were benign breast lesions and all of them were fibroadenoma. While Tru-cut or Core-needle biopsy (CNB) diagnosed 85% of the lesions as malignant, FNAC diagnosed 65% of lesions as malignant. The sensitivity of CNB was observed to be 98.1% and its specificity was 100%. In contrast, the sensitivity of FNAC was much lower (65%), although its specificity was comparable to that of CNB (100%). While the overall diagnostic accuracy of CNB was 98.3%, that of FNAC was 78.3%. The test of agreement between Tru-cut biopsy and FNAC using kappa-statistics showed that the two diagnostic modalities had moderate agreement in differentiating malignant breast tumours from the benign ones (k-value = 0.494, p &lt; 0.001).&#x0D; Conclusion: The study concluded that Tru-cut biopsy and FNAC both are hundred percent specific in excluding a benign breast lesion. However, the sensitivity of FNAC is much lower compared to that of CNB with overall diagnostic accuracy of Tru-cut biopsy being much higher than FNAC.&#x0D; Ibrahim Card Med J 2021; 11 (1): 21-27

Diagnostic performance of core needle biopsy for nodal recurrences in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

This study investigated the diagnostic accuracy and affecting factors of ultrasound (US)-guided core-needle biopsy (CNB) in patients with treated head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). We retrospectively reviewed patients with treated HNSCC who received US-guided CNB from January 2011 to December 2018 with corresponding imaging. Pathological necrosis and fibrosis of targeted lymph nodes (LNs) were evaluated. We analyzed the correlation between CNB accuracy and clinical and pathological characteristics. In total, 260 patients were included. The overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy of CNB for nodal recurrence were 84.47%, 100%, 100%, 54.67%, and 86.92%, respectively. CNB of fibrotic LNs had significantly worse sensitivity, NPV, and accuracy than that of non-fibrotic LNs. Similarly, CNB of necrotic LNs had significantly worse sensitivity, NPV, and accuracy than non-necrotic LNs. Multivariate regression revealed that fibrotic LN was the only independent factor for a true positive rate, whereas both necrotic LN and fibrotic LN were independent factors for a false negative rate. The diagnostic accuracy of CNB in treated HNSCC patients is affected by LN necrosis and fibrosis. Therefore, CNB results, particularly for necrotic or fibrotic LNs, should be interpreted carefully.

Accuracy of core needle biopsy for histologic diagnosis of soft tissue sarcoma

The biopsy technique of choice in soft tissue sarcoma (STS) diagnosis is controversial. We examined the diagnostic accuracy of percutaneous core needle biopsy (CNB) and compared it to open incisional biopsy. A retrospective study included 91 incisional biopsies and 102 CNBs. A pair-match investigation was conducted on 19 patient pairs, comparing sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy. Furthermore, we investigated the role of molecular pathology in sarcoma diagnostics. In 81/91 (89%) patients with incisional biopsy, the entity was confirmed by definitive pathology, whereas this was the case in 89/102 (87%) CNB patients (p = 0.52). Grading remained unchanged in 46/55 (84%) of incisional and 54/62 (87%) of CNBs (p = 0.61). The pair matched analysis showed that the correct entity was determined in 96% of incisional and 97.6% of core needle biopsies. The time between the initial consultation and the interdisciplinary tumor board's treatment recommendation was shorter in core needle biopsies (8.37 vs. 15.63 days; p < 0.002). Incisional biopsies led to two wound infections and one hematoma, whereas wound infection occurred in one patient after CNB. CNB leads to faster diagnosis while reaching the same histological accuracy and is less burdensome for patients. Still, surgeons need to remain aware of the possibility of biopsy failure.

Complications and diagnostic accuracy of CT-guided 18G tru-cut versus end-cut percutaneous core needle biopsy of solitary solid lung nodules.

Percutaneous biopsy has demonstrated high accuracy in diagnosis of lung nodules, but the technique is not innocuous and a yield decrease in lesions smaller than 20 mm has been reported. We carried out a prospective study to evaluate and compare the complications and efficacy of percutaneous core needle biopsy (CNB) of solitary solid lung nodules, which were performed with two types of automatic guns. 330 consecutive CT-guided CNB were included. Tru-cut or end-cut 18G devices were used alternatively. Nodules were categorized by their size: ≤10 mm, 11-20 mm and >20 mm. Incidence of complications such as pneumothorax or hemoptysis and factors influencing them (nodule size and depth within lung parenchyma) were evaluated. Diagnostic accuracy of CNB achieved in the three groups of nodules regarding the two different needles were calculated and statistically evaluated and compared. We performed 68 CNB in nodules ≤10 mm, 130 in 11-20 mm and 132 in >20 mm. Pneumothorax appeared in 24.2% of them, but only 5.7% required drainage. Hemoptysis was developed in 9.4% and abundant hemoptysis with hypoxemia was observed in only 4.2% of patients. Regarding appearance of complications between the two needle types, no significant differences were found. A higher risk of hemoptysis was observed in nodules ≤10 mm (OR = 3.87; 95% CI = 1.24-12.06, P = 0.019) and in those located deeper in pulmonary parenchyma (OR = 2.21; 95% CI = 1.04-4.69, P = 0.038). End-cut needles reached a diagnostic accuracy of 93.7%, 92.1% and 98.3%, in nodules sized ≤10 mm, 11-20 mm and >20 mm, respectively. Corresponding results for tru-cut were 84.7%, 88.5% and 92.1%. In spite of differences reaching up to 9% in smaller nodules, intra-group results were not significant. Both needles have similar complications rate. Despite not having observed statistically significant differences between the two types of needles, end-cut devices have demonstrated a higher diagnostic yield in the three groups of nodules and could be a more suitable option especially for CNB of nodules ≤10 mm.

Audit on Intraductal Papilloma of the Breast: Upgrade Rate, Management Pitfalls, and Updated Guidelines in a Tertiary Health Care Center.

BackgroundIntraductal papillomas (IDPs) are typically classified as B3 lesions in histology as they may show intralesional heterogeneity with a potential upgrade to malignancy. On core needle biopsy (CNB), a distinction between papilloma versus papillary ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) may be difficult. It is well known that otherwise benign papillomas may harbor foci of atypical ductal hyperplasia or DCIS. In this study, we aimed to calculate the radiological (mammogram and ultrasound) accuracy of IDP and to analyze the accuracy of CNB to diagnose IDP. Furthermore, we calculated the percentage of upgrade to malignancy after surgical excision. Any case that had a co-existing in-situ or invasive carcinoma during surgical excision was considered as an “upgrade” to malignancy. Finally, we analyzed the current management protocol for IDP in the institution and suggested changes, if needed.MethodologyThis is a retrospective cross-sectional study. A total of 112 cases diagnosed as IDP radiologically and/or by histopathology over a one-year time frame were included. A retrospective analysis of the accuracy of the radiological diagnosis was done by comparing it with CNB and/or surgical excision biopsy reports. The number of cases diagnosed with a co-existing in-situ or invasive carcinoma was calculated. This was considered as an “upgrade” from a B3 lesion in CNB to carcinoma in surgical excision. Current institutional management protocols were evaluated and compared with international benchmarks.ResultsOut of the 112 cases, 91 were suspected to be papilloma by imaging. The remaining 21 cases who were positive for papilloma on biopsy but were not diagnosed radiologically were also studied separately. Among the biopsied patients, eight were positive for IDP with atypia in CNB. Five out of these eight cases had an in-situ or invasive component during the surgical excision, with one invasive lobular carcinoma, three lobular carcinomas in situ, and one DCIS on surgical excision histopathology. The upgrade percentage was calculated to be 22.72%.ConclusionsDue to the large upgrade potential of IDP, it is recommended to biopsy every radiologically suspected lesion and excise pathology-proved lesions. If the biopsy shows papilloma without atypia, vacuum excision is sufficient; otherwise, surgical excision with a clearance of margins is advocated. Annual mammograms/surveillance is recommended for biopsy-proven cases. IDP has a high upgrade potential, and, hence, care should be taken to biopsy suspicious lesions. An excision of biopsy-proven lesions must be done.

Core needle biopsy diagnosis of musculoskeletal tumors at a small regional treatment center and at sarcoma referral centers are equally effective and accurate: a retrospective case series

Background: Although incisional biopsy (IB) is the gold standard for diagnosing musculoskeletal tumors, core needle biopsy (CNB) is becoming common. Many large sarcoma referral centers have evaluated the accuracy of CNB, but its accuracy at smaller centers is unknown. Methods: After IRB approval, a retrospective study of patients undergoing CNB and IB for musculoskeletal tumor diagnosis at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center from 2006 to 2018 was performed. All patients underwent surgical excision of their tumor. Final pathology was the gold standard for analysis. Biopsy effectiveness and accuracy for determining malignancy and pathology was determined. Complications from biopsies and diagnostic errors were evaluated. Results: Efficacy of CNB was 83.1% for bone and 97.7% for soft-tissue tumors; IB was 100% effective. Accuracy of determining malignancy of bone tumors was 89.8% for CNB and 100% for IB, while that for soft-tissue tumors was 92.9% with CNB and 100% with IB. Accuracy of CNB determining pathology of bone tumors was 73.1% for malignant and 42.4% for benign tumors, while IB determined pathology of 100% of malignant and 75% of benign tumors. For soft-tissue tumors, CNB accurately diagnosed 88.9% of malignant and 52% of benign tumors while IB accurately diagnosed 100% of malignant and benign soft-tissue tumors. There were no procedural complications related to biopsy. Conclusions: The data in this study show that CNB and IB performed at a small treatment center are effective and accurate for diagnosis of musculoskeletal tumors. Level of Evidence: Level IV.

Clinicopathologic factors affecting discrepancies in HER2 overexpression between core needle biopsy and surgical biopsy in breast cancer patients according to neoadjuvant treatment or not.

Background: Accurate determination of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status on breast core needle biopsy (CNB) tissue is important for determining neoadjuvant chemotherapies (NACs) for primary breast cancer. However, HER2 discrepancies occur before and after surgery, creating difficulties in the administration of appropriate NAC. This study aimed to identify the clinical factors affecting these discrepancies.Methods: This study was conducted on patients with primary breast cancer who underwent breast surgery from January 2012 to December 2018 at the Chung-Ang University Hospital. HER2 status was analyzed using immunohistochemistry. HER2 was graded as 0 to +3, and all 2+ cases were evaluated for gene amplification. The patients were divided into two groups based on whether or not they received chemotherapy. Patient and clinical characteristics between the two groups were compared using the χ2 test and a logistic regression model.Results: A total of 443 patients were evaluated; 384 patients (86.7%) did not receive NAC, and 59 patients (13.3%) received NAC. The HER2 discordance rate was 12.5% in the no NAC group and 23.7% in the NAC group. Most cases showed a change in HER2 status from negative in CNB to positive in surgical biopsy (SB). Clinicopathological factors affecting HER2 change in the no NAC group were larger tumor size and higher histologic grade. Meanwhile, poor response to prior chemotherapy affected HER2 change in NAC.Conclusion: The overall accuracy of CNB in determining HER2 status was lower in the NAC group than in the no NAC group. Some clinicopathological factors may affect HER2 changes in each group at different levels. Based on the HER2 status at the time of diagnosis, the choice of HER2-targeted therapy may vary, even if this is not true. Future research on the effects of changes in HER2 status between CNB and SB on prognosis is needed.