Ultrasound-guided diagnostic breast biopsy methodology: retrospective comparison of the 8-gauge vacuum-assisted biopsy approach versus the spring-loaded 14-gauge core biopsy approach

Table 2 Procedural variables for all cases of ultrasound-guided diagnostic breast biopsy (8-gauge vacuum-assisted biopsy or spring-loaded 14-gauge core biopsy).

	8-gauge	14-gauge	All cases	P-value
Total number of cases	724	719	1443	-----------
Number of cores (all procedures)				<0.001
Median (range)	6.0 (1-38)	6.0 (2-15)	6.0 (1-38)
Mean (±SD)	7.6 (±5.1)	6.0 (±2.1)	6.8 (±4.0)
Number of cores (with final pathology as carcinoma)				0.087
Median (range)	4.0 (2-22)	6.0 (2-15)	5.0 (2-22)
Mean (±SD)	5.5 (±3.6)	6.0 (±2.2)	5.9 (±2.6)
Number of cores (with final pathology as benign)^#				<0.001
Median (range)	7.0 (1-38)	6.0 (2-14)	6.0 (1-38)
Mean (±SD)	8.2 (±5.4)	6.0 (±2..0)	7.4 (±4.6)
Placement of marking microclip*				<0.001
Yes	714 (98.6%)	428 (59.5%)	1142 (79.1%)
No	10 (1.4%)	291 (40.5%)	301 (20.9%)

^# For those 8-gauge vacuum-assisted diagnostic biopsies that were done with the intention to attempt 8-gauge vacuum-assisted excision of any given benign breast lesions (n = 354), the median number of cores was 8 (range, 1 to 38) and the mean number of cores was 9.3 (± 5.9).
* Microclip marking was done selectively for ultrasound-guided diagnostic breast biopsy procedures done during the time period from 2001 to 2004, but was generally done more universally in all cases thereafter.

ISSN: 1477-7819