Comparing the Results of Visual Inspection of Ultrasound-Guided Core Needle Biopsy Specimens with Pathology Outcomes in Patients with Breast Tumors

The core needle biopsy (CNB) is a commonly used method and a gold standard for the diagnosis of breast lesions. The purpose of this study was to compare the results of visual inspection of ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy specimens with pathology outcomes in patients with breast tumors.
In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 600 patients with breast tumors who were candidates for core needle biopsy with ultrasonography were entered into the study according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Then, samples were taken by a radiologist who categorized the breast mass to malignant or benign according to its consistency and shape, based on observation, as well as the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BIRADS). The results of the core specimen categorization were compared with the pathology outcomes.
Findings: The sensitivity and specificity of the core specimen categorization were 97.48% and 94.10%, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values of this test were 85.64% and 99.05%, respectively.
The sensitivity and specificity of the visual inspection of core specimen was high for detecting the type of mass. So, it can increase the accuracy of the biopsy of the breast lesions, especially in sizes less than 10 mm, reduce the number of cores taken from the lesion, and give the patient a relative assurance of benign lesion at the same time as performing a biopsy to remove his/her anxiety earlier.