Use of a specimen-evaluation device for the diagnosis of impalpable breast lesions detected by mammography.

OBJECTIVE

To describe a method for accurate excision and exact histopathological diagnosis of impalpable breast lesions, considered suspicious of carcinoma, and detected on mammographic examination alone.

SETTING, PATIENTS AND INTERVENTIONS: Eight-five patients referred with a suspicious but impalpable mammographic lesion underwent preoperative radiological localisation followed by surgical excision biopsy. Specimen radiology with a radiolucent acrylic compression-grid specimen-evaluation device confirmed that the lesion had been excised. By use of the grid coordinates, exact histopathological examination of the radiological area of suspicion was carried out to provide a definitive pathological diagnosis.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight patients (33%) were found to have invasive carcinoma or extensive intraduct breast carcinoma requiring further surgical and adjuvant management. Nineteen of these patients (68%) had no axillary node metastases.

CONCLUSION

The use of an acrylic compression-grid specimen-evaluation device in the diagnosis of suspicious mammographic breast lesions facilitates confirmation of excision by specimen radiology, and expedites accurate histological examination of suspicious radiological lesions.