A breast biopsy is a procedure performed to detect the presence of cancer and other disorders in the breast. It involves the removal of a small amount of tissue or fluid, which is examined in detail for signs of abnormality. In some cases, the area of potential abnormality is small and difficult to pinpoint. Ultrasound-guided biopsy uses special imaging techniques to guide doctors to these small areas.
Reasons for Ultrasound-guided Biopsy
According to the Radiological Society of North America, you may receive an ultrasound-guided breast biopsy to investigate abnormalities including distortions in the structure of your breast tissue, solid masses and areas of unusual tissue change. While ultrasound is typically used to biopsy changes that cannot be felt by hand, you may also undergo the procedure for larger masses.
Biopsy Procedures
Depending on your medical needs, ultrasound may be used as part of three minimally-invasive procedures---core needle biopsy, fine needle aspiration and vacuum-assisted biopsy---or as part of the surgical procedure called wire localization. Core needle biopsy employs a large, hollow needle to remove individual tissues samples. Fine needle aspiration uses a much smaller needle to gather cells or fluid. In vacuum-assisted biopsy, a specialized vacuum device is used to extract multiple samples through a single needle insertion. Wire localization involves inserting a wire into the area under examination as a guide for surgical tissue removal.
Typically, your breast biopsy will be performed on an outpatient basis under local anesthetic. At the start of your procedure, an ultrasound specialist or radiologist (diagnostic imaging specialist) will examine your breast with a device called an ultrasound transducer, which will relay visual interpretations of sound waves from the breast's interior to a viewing monitor. These images will be used as a guide throughout the biopsy. After locating the proper area with ultrasound, your doctor will make a tiny incision on the outside of your breast to mark the entry point for the biopsy needle or wire. Using the real-time ultrasound image, he will then insert the needle or wire through the interior of your breast and into the area designated for sample collection.
If you undergo a core needle procedure, an automated mechanism will guide the biopsy needle to different portions of the target area, where it will extract tissue samples one at a time. Typically, three to six samples are taken. If a fine needle aspiration is performed, a syringe attached to the biopsy needle will be used to collect the sample material. In a vacuum-assisted procedure, the biopsy needle will rotate in place while the vacuum device extracts a series of eight to 10 samples. If you undergo a wire localization, a surgeon will follow the inserted wire and extract a sample. At the end of the procedure, a small marker may be left inside your breast as a guide for potential future examinations.
Needle biopsies can usually be performed in one hour. Surgical biopsy may take longer. Typically, needle biopsy sites heal without the need for suturing.
Tags: your breast, biopsy needle, breast biopsy, needle aspiration, needle biopsy
