Purpose: To introduce vanishing breast lesions during US-guided core needle biopsy (CNB) and to analyse their pathologies and determine their clinical significance.
Materials and Methods: Between January 2009 and February 2011, 600 US- guided CNB procedures were performed in 549 women. CNB procedures were performed under US-guidance using an automated biopsy gun (Magnum Biopsy instrument, Bard) with a 14G needle. Among these cases, 98 masses (16.3%) exhibited the vanishing phenomenon which was arbitrarily defined as non-visualization during US-guided CNB. We reviewed their BIRADS category before CNB and their final pathology report.
Results: The most common pathologies of vanishing lesions were fibrocystic change (32 cases, 32.7%) followed by duct ectasia (24 cases, 24.5%), fibroadenomatoid mastopathy (n=6, 6.1%), and benign breast tissue (n=6, 6.1%). No malignant pathology was found in any of the vanishing lesions.
Conclusion: A vanishing lesion during CNB is highly suggestive of benign pathology. Therefore, the radiologist can relieve the patient's anxiety before the final pathologic report