NON PALPABLE BREAST-LESIONS - STEREOTAXIC FINE-NEEDLE ASPIRATION

The authors reviewed the accuracy of stereotaxic fine-needle aspiratio n cytology. Two hundred-twenty-eight lesions were studied: 103 benign lesions, 125 cancers. Inadequate sample was obtained in 26% of cases. None of the cytology reports were false-positive, whereas 77% of the s uspect cytologic reports were malignant on histology. In strongly susp icious lesions at mammography, the decision to perform surgical biopsy should not be postponed as false negative cytologic findings (7 cases ) are possible. In patients with a low suspicious lesion, cytology fou nd six cancers. The benign-to-malignant ratio of excisional biopsies o f non palpables lesions should be reduced by stereotaxic fine-needle a spiration cytology.