Needle core biopsy should replace fine needle aspiration cytology in ultrasound-guided sampling of breast lesions.

摘要

Until recently, fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) has been the procedure of choice in diagnosis of solid ultrasound-detected breast lesions. Nevertheless, needle core biopsy (NCB) is being used increasingly. The main limit of FNAC method is the high rate of inadequate results, especially for benign lesions and, even though the average reported sensitivity is high, false negative results are quite frequent. The accuracy of FNAC widely varies between different studies, and appears to be operator dependent. Moreover, FNAC cannot distinguish "in situ" carcinomas from invasive malignancies. Since Parker first introduced ultrasound (US)-guided automated core needle biopsy of breast lesions, many studies have confirmed the high sensitivity of this procedure (range: 92-97%).