Stereotaxic needle biopsy of non-palpable breast lesions. Cytologic and histopathologic findings.

Stereotaxic needle biopsy was performed on 121 radiographically demonstrated non-palpable breast lesions, which were excised within 3 months after the needling. Of the 62 histopathologically proven malignant tumors, malignant or probably malignant epithelial cells were obtained at needle biopsy, in about 80 per cent of cases, in which the cellular material was quantitatively adequate. There was no false positive cytologic result. The combined radiologic and cytologic assessment gave a correct diagnosis in 61 of the 62 histopathologically malignant tumors. There was metastatic tumor involvement of the lymph nodes in only 3 of the malignant tumors.