Stereotactic core biopsy: Comparison of 11 gauge with 8 gauge vacuum assisted breast biopsy.

PURPOSE

The compare the performance and ability to obtain a correct diagnosis on needle biopsy between 11 gauge and 8 gauge vacuum assisted biopsy devices.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Hospital records of all consecutive stereotactic core biopsies performed over five years were retrospectively reviewed in compliance Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) policy and with approval from the hospital institutional review board (IRB). Pathology from core biopsy was compared with surgical pathology and/or imaging follow-up. A histological underestimation was defined if the surgical excision yielded a higher grade on pathology which changed management.

RESULTS

828 needle core biopsies (47.5%, 393/828 with 11 gauge and 52.5%, 435/828 with 8 gauge) yielded 471 benign, 153 high risk and 204 malignant lesions. 30/193 (15.5%) 11 gauge lesions and 16/185 (8.6%) 8 gauge lesions demonstrated higher grade pathology on surgical excision. The difference in the rates of the number of correct diagnoses on core needle biopsy between 11 gauge (363/393, 92.4%) and 8 gauge (419/435, 96.3%) based on either surgical or clinical/imaging follow up and the difference in the number of discordant benign core biopsies between 11 (17/217, 7.8%) and 8 gauge (4/254, 1.6%) necessitating a surgical biopsy was significant (P=0.013; P=0.001). Although there were more underestimations with the 11 gauge (25/193, 13.0%) than 8 gauge (15/185, 8.1%) needle, this was not significant.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrates improved performance and increased diagnostic ability of 8 gauge needle over 11 gauge in obtaining a correct diagnosis on needle biopsy.