MAGNETIC-RESONANCE IMAGING-GUIDED PREOPERATIVE BREAST LOCALIZATION USING FREEHAND TECHNIQUE

A 1.5 cm focus in the breast with intense gadolinium uptake was incide ntally detected during magnetic resonance (MR) imaging evaluation of a cluster of microcalcifications. Because the apparent mass was both ma mmographically and sonographically occult, MR imaging was used to guid e a needle by ''freehand technique'' to the lesion, permitting success ful pre-operative localization and subsequent surgical excision of the area.