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.