Mammotome biopsy under ultrasound control in the diagnostics and treatment of nodular breast lesions - own experience.

Mammotome biopsy is an effective, minimally invasive, novel technique used in the verification of breast lesions.The aim of the study was to assess the value of ultrasound-guided vacuum-assisted core needle biopsy (mammotome biopsy) in the diagnostics and treatment of nodular breast lesions, considering own data.Material and methods. Analysis comprised 1183 mammotome biopsies under ultrasound control performed in 1177 female patients during the period between 2000 and 2010, at the Regional Clinic for Early Diagnostics and Treatment of Breast Lesions, I Chair and Department of General Surgery, Jagiellonian University, Collegium Medicum.Results. The average patient age amounted to 41.7 years. The size of the investigated lesions ranged between 4 and 65 mm (mean - 12 mm). The histopathological examination result was as follows: fibrocystic lesions (n=285), adenofibroma (n=477), adenosis sclerosans (n=188), hyperplasia without atypy (n=58), phyllode tumor (n=2), papilloma (n=14), hamartoma (n=1), atypical hyperplasia (n=25), in situ ductal carcinoma (n=4), in situ lobular carcinoma (n=5), infiltrating ductal carcinoma (n=114), infiltrating lobular carcinoma (n=4), non-diagnostic result (n=6). The histopathological diagnosis was obtained in 99.5% of cases. Patients diagnosed with atypical hyperplasia or cancer were qualified for surgery, according to accepted standards. The presence of a hematoma was the most common complication after the biopsy, observed in 16.5% of patients.Conclusions. The obtained results confirmed the high value of ultrasound-guided biopsies in the diagnostics of nodular breast lesions. The method is safe, minimally invasive, with few complications, providing a good cosmetic effect. In case of benign lesions with a diameter of less than 15 mm the mammotome biopsy enables to completely excise the lesions, being an alternative to open surgical biopsies. The mammotome biopsy should become the method of choice considering the diagnostics of nodular breast lesions.