DISTINCTION BETWEEN POSTSURGICAL CHANGES AND CARCINOMA BY MEANS OF STEREOTAXIC FINE-NEEDLE ASPIRATION BIOPSY AFTER REDUCTION MAMMAPLASTY

Stereotaxic fine-needle aspiration biopsy (SFNAB) was performed to eva luate suspicious mammographic findings (31 stellate lesions, 20 region s of grouped calcifications, two nodules, and one area of prominent tr abecular markings) in 54 patients who had undergone reduction mammapla sty. SFNAB findings were correlated with findings in histologic specim ens whenever possible; the cytologic samples were classified as malign ant, atypical, or benign. In 22 lesions, the abnormalities on mammogra ms were considered highly suspicious for malignancy. In the 32 others, the degree of suspicion was lower, but these lesions had a change in appearance since acquisition of the first postoperative mammogram. SFN AB enabled diagnosis of adenocarcinoma in five women. Patients who hav e undergone mastectomy with reconstruction of one breast and mammaplas ty in the other are at higher risk for development of contralateral br east cancer, as are all patients who have had such cancer. SFNAB is re liable for evaluation of suspicious mammographic abnormalities that de velop after mammaplasty and findings that change after acquisition of the first postoperative mammogram.