Purpose: To present the initial Greek experience with vacuumassisted breast biopsy (VABB) in the diagnosis of nonpalpable solid mammographic lesions without microcalcifications.
Materials and methods: We performed 83 VABB procedures (using a Fischer table and 11-guage Mammotome probes) in an 18- month period on women with nonpalpable solid breast tumors. We performed VABB procedures on women with breast imaging reporting and data system (BI-RADS) categories 3 and 4. VABB procedures excised more than 24 cores.
Results: Eighty-three women with nonpalpable lesions identified on mammography were evaluated; 42.2% were BI-RADS category 3, and 57.8% were BI-RADS 4. Of all solid tumors excised, 83.1% were benign, 3.6% were precursor lesions, and 13.3% of the lesions were malignant. No underestimation occurred. Clinically important hematoma developed in 4.8% of cases.
Conclusion: VABB is an effective method for the diagnosis of nonpalpable solid lesions because of the lack of underestimation, although it is technically more difficult to focus on lesions without microcalcifications than those with microcalcifications on the Fischer table.