MR-guided percutaneous excisional and incisional biopsy of breast lesions

The aim of this study was the realisation and clinical application of MR-guided vacuum biopsy for percutaneous excisional and incisional biopsy of enhancing breast lesions. A breast biopsy system and procedure have been developed which allow precise and safe access to breast lesions in any location and use of vacuum biopsy (VB) under MR guidance. Fifty-one patients with 55 MR-detected lesions were examined. Verification of these diagnoses included re-excision histology of all 14 malignancies and for benign lesions retrospective correlation of histology and imaging, assessment of complete or partial removal of the enhancing area directly after VB (40 of 40 lesions) and follow-up MRI (33 of 40 lesions), which in contrast to conventional needle biopsy can be used as proof of representative removal. Fifty-four of 55 procedures (including 15 lesions ≤ 5 mm and another 26 lesions of 5–10 mm size) were successful. One failure was caused by incorrect use of the VB gun. Vacuum biopsy yielded 14 malignancies and 40 benign lesions. With the available verification techniques all diagnoses proved correct. Percutaneous VB became possible under MR guidance. With minimal invasion it allowed increased certainty and accuracy even for very small lesions. Received: 17 August 1998; Revised: 15 January 1999; Accepted: 10 February 1999