Purpose
The use of larger-gauge cutting needles is generally believed to improve the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound (US)-guided core-needle biopsy (CNB) of breast masses.In our department,
US-guided CNB has been performed by radiologists using cutting needles of various sizes [1].
We compared the diagnostic accuracy of CNBs performed with each of the three different sizes of cutting needles used in our department.
Methods and materials
We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 1112 patients who underwent US-guided CNB of breast masses utilizing 14-gauge,
16-gauge,
or 18-gauge cutting needles.
The radiologists who performed the biopsies were faculty radiologists who had from 1 year to over 30 years of experience in breast imaging and US-guided procedures or radiology fellows operating under the supervision of breast imaging faculty members.
Either of two commercially available disposable biopsy devices (MaxCore [Bard Medical,
Covington,
GA,
USA] and Achieve [CareFusion,
San Diego,
CA,
USA]) with a similar needle...
Results
703 CNB cases met the inclusion criteria: 203 CNBs using 14-gauge,
235 using 16-gauge,
and 265 using 18-gauge needles.The patients’ ages ranged from 19 to 97 years,
with a median of 55 years.
The mean,
median,
and range of sizes of the 703 breast masses were 2.0 cm,
1.5 cm,
and 0.3 to 21 cm,
respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the mean,
median,
or range of breast mass sizes between the three needle size groups.
The mean,
median,
and range of the...
Conclusion
Discussion:
US-guided CNB of breast masses has been performed with automated needle devices using 14-gauge cutting needles to ensure that the specimens have a sufficient size to yield a reliable pathological diagnosis,
and it has been assumed that smaller-gauge cutting needles would yield lower quality and possibly inadequate samples.
Development of US-guided CNB
In 1990,
Parker et al performed a study of stereotactically guided CNB with 18-gauge,
16-gauge,
and 14-gauge automated cutting needles (Biopty gun,
Bard) and concluded that the 14-gauge needles yielded better quality...
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