Stereotactic biopsy

Stereotactic biopsy, also known as stereotactic core biopsy, is a biopsy procedure that uses a computer and imaging performed in at least two planes to localize a target lesion (such as a tumor or microcalcifications in the breast) in three-dimensional space and guide the removal of tissue for examination by a pathologist under a microscope. Stereotactic core biopsy makes use of the underlying principle of parallax to determine the depth or "Z-dimension" of the target lesion.

Stereotactic core biopsy is extensively used by radiologists specializing in breast imaging to obtain tissue samples containing microcalcifications, which can be an early sign of breast cancer.

Uses

X-ray-guided stereotactic biopsy is used for impalpable lesions that are not visible on ultrasound.[1]

A stereotactic biopsy may be used, with x-ray guidance, for performing a fine needle aspiration for cytology and needle core biopsy to evaluate a breast lesion. However, that type of biopsy is also sometimes performed without any imaging guidance,[2] and typically, stereotactic guidance is used for core biopsies or vacuum-assisted mammotomy.[3]

Stereotactic core biopsy is necessary for evaluating atypical appearing calcifications found on mammogram of the breast. If the calcifications exhibit the classic "teacup" appearance of benign fibrocystic changes, then a biopsy is usually not necessary.[4]

References
  1. Adam, Andy; Dixon, Adrian K (2008). "52, the Breast". Grainger & Allison's Diagnostic Radiology: a Textbook of Medical Imaging (5th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier. p. 1198. ISBN 978-0-443-10163-2.
  2. Adam & Dixon 2008, pp. 1195
  3. Adam & Dixon 2008, pp. 1197
  4. Adam & Dixon 2008, pp. 1188

Further reading
  • Meyer JE, Smith DN, Lester SC, et al. Large-core needle biopsy of nonpalpable breast lesions. JAMA 1999; 281:1638-1641
  • Darling, M. L. R.; Smith, D. N.; Lester, S. C.; Kaelin, C.; Selland, D. L. G.; Denison, C. M.; Dipiro, P. J.; Rose, D. I.; Rhei, E.; Meyer, J. E. (2000). "Atypical Ductal Hyperplasia and Ductal Carcinoma in Situ as Revealed by Large-Core Needle Breast Biopsy". American Journal of Roentgenology. 175 (5): 1341–1346. doi:10.2214/ajr.175.5.1751341. PMID 11044038.

 This article incorporates public domain material from the U.S. National Cancer Institute document: "Dictionary of Cancer Terms".


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