Background: There are surprisingly few reports about the cosmetic results o
f wire-guided biopsy of benign breast lesions as opposed to breast-conservi
ng surgery and irradiation of early breast cancer (BCT).
Study Design: Twenty potential perioperative risk factors for adverse cosme
tic results after wire-guided breast biopsy were prospectively evaluated in
101 patients undergoing the first single biopsy after suspicion of a malig
nant lesion that subsequently proved to be benign. The overall cosmetic res
ult was evaluated by using 6 specific cosmetic indices individually scored
6 months after the breast biopsy.
Results: The overall cosmesis was excellent, good, fair, or poor in 48.5%,
26.7%, 12.9%, and 11.9% of cases, respectively. The corresponding figures a
ccording to appraisal by the patients were 22.8%, 58.4%, 17.8%, and 1.0%, r
espectively. Unsatisfactory (fair or poor) overall cosmetic results were re
lated to excisions extending down to the fascia (p = 0.001) and postoperati
ve complications (p = 0.018) in multivariate analysis. Notably, specimen vo
lume had no significant impact on overall cosmesis, as opposed to cosmesis
after BCT.
Conclusions: Cosmetic outcomes after wire-guided biopsy of benign breast le
sions were excellent or good in at least 75% of cases. Excisions extending
down to the pectoralis fascia and complications were associated with poor a
esthetic outcomes. (J Am Coll Surg 1998;187:610-615. (C) 1998 by the Americ
an College of Surgeons).