Ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of nonpalpable breast lesions

Abstract

Application of the NCI-supported diagnostic categories to US-FNA of nonpalpable breast lesions is useful in stratifying aspirates based on the likelihood of underlying malignancy. The subcategories of US-FNAs diagnosed as atypical have similar probabilities of malignancy; this justifies their being grouped as a single category wherein tissue biopsy would be required to exclude carcinoma. Benign and inadequate FNA diagnoses must be correlated with the clinical and imaging findings and in noncorrelative cases the patient should undergo biopsy. US-FNA is a sensitive and specific means with which to diagnose nonpalpable breast lesions.