Punch biopsy: a useful adjunct in a rapid diagnosis breast clinic.

INTRODUCTION

Triple assessment of breast lesions usually involves the use of core biopsy (CB) or fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). Punch Biopsy (PB) is a technique widely used by dermatologists and can be used in superficial breast lesions with dermal involvement. We studied the utilization of PB in a rapid diagnosis breast clinic.

METHOD

We reviewed patients who underwent a PB over a seven and a half-year period from December 2001 to May 2009. The indications for biopsy and the contribution of PB to final diagnosis were studied.

RESULTS

The commonest indications were breast lump with skin involvement or ulceration (n = 27), suspected Paget's disease (n = 25), discolouration of breast skin (n = 23), and nodules in the breast skin or surgical scar (n = 18). Final diagnosis was benign in 80 patients and malignant in 20. In 74 patients with benign and 7 patients with malignant diagnoses, PB was the only source of histological diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

PB is a valuable adjunct to conventional methods of tissue diagnosis such as CB and FNAC in both benign and malignant breast lesions.