Does ultrasound core breast biopsy predict histologic finding on excisional biopsy?

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine whether ultrasound-guided core breast biopsy accurately predicts the histologic finding of a subsequent excisional procedure. Methods: Data were collected prospectively from 1997 to 2001 for 832 ultrasound-guided core breast biopsies (USB) that were followed by excisional breast procedure (EP) within 1 year at our institution. The principal histologic finding obtained at USB and EP was identified for each procedure and the degree of agreement was assessed. Results: The USB histology predicted EP histology in 90% (n = 746) of the procedures. The USB histology was more significant than EP histology in 3% (n = 22) of procedures; USB histology underdetermined EP histology in 7% (n = 64) of procedures. Overall, our results indicate moderate agreement between the principal histology identified at USB relative to that identified at EP. Conclusions: Ultrasound-guided core breast biopsy is an effective diagnostic method, but sampling limitations do exist. (C) 2003 Excerpta Medica, Inc. All rights reserved.