IMAGING GUIDANCE (STEREOTACTIC & ULTRASOUND)

If the abnormality is best seen on mammography, the biopsy will be guided by x-rays and is called stereotactic biopsy. The patient will lay face-down on a special table with the breast placed in compression through an opening in the table. The radiologist works from below the table, which elevates and lowers on command.

If the abnormality is best seen on ultrasound, the biopsy is performed using ultrasound guidance, with the patient lying on her back or up on one side. Typically, stereotactic guidance is used to biopsy microcalcifications or other subtle mammographic findings not seen on ultrasound. Ultrasound guidance is used to biopsy most masses and may allow better access to lesions near the chest wall or close to the nipple. The lack of radiation makes this approach ideal for young or pregnant women. The easier positioning is optimal for elderly patients or those who cannot lie on their stomachs. Otherwise the mammotome biopsy experience is the same.

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