RANDOMIZED PROSPECTIVE-STUDY OF LOCAL TRANSDERMIC ANESTHETIC IN FINE-NEEDLE ASPIRATION BIOPSY FOR BREAST LUMPS

Aim, To evaluate the use of local transdermic anesthetics in fine need le aspiration biopsy (FNAB) in breast lesions. Methods. Prospective ra ndomized study of 119 patients having breast lesions, all being indica ted for FNAB,The patients were divided into three groups: 40 patients entered in the active group (lidocaine + prilocaine); 40 patients unde rwent the placebo group (aqueous extract of Triticum vulgaris); and a control group of 39 women in whom FNAB was performed without the admin istration of any substance. Both the anesthetic and placebo were admin istered an hour before FNAB; Pain was quantified through a visual anal ogic scale of pain. The type of pain was also classified in terms of o ccurrence: only during the puncture, only during the movements and bot h; Results. The visual linear analogic scale of pain showed an average of 3.3 in the active group, 3.5 in the placebo and 4.0 in the control group (NS). Analysis of the type of pain which was referred by the pa tient showed that 15% of the patients in the active group, 12.5% of th ose in the placebo group and 5.1% in the control group did not refer t o any sensation of pain. Pain, when felt, was similar in all three gro ups (p<0.4). Conclusions. Both the quantification and the type of pain referred to were similar in all three groups. However,there was a ten dency of the patient to refer to less pain when the active substance o r the placebo were used, when results were compared to the control gro up.