X-ray Guided Biopsy:

A computerized mammography machine uses intersecting coordinates to pinpoint the area of tissue change. This method is called stereotactic biopsy or x-ray guided biopsy.

What is X-ray Guided Breast Biopsy?

X-ray guided breast biopsy is done when mammogram shows a suspicious mass that cannot be felt on breast examination, or having a suspicious cluster of small calcium deposits, when the structure of breast tissue is distorted

When do you need a X-ray guided breast biopsy?

X-ray guided breast biopsy is done when  Mammogram showing a suspicious solid mass that cannot be felt on breast examination. Mammogram showing a suspicious cluster of small calcium deposits. The structure of breast tissue is damaged. Presence of a new mass or calcium deposits presents at a previous site of surgery.

How is X-ray guided breast biopsy done?

Stop taking aspirin or blood thinning drugs 3 days in advance of the biopsy procedure.

The patient is made to lying face-down, with her breast projecting through a hole in the table. The actual biopsy is done below the table after raising it to gain access to her breast. The procedure can also be done with the patient upright in a chair, the images are obtained by using computerized or digital imaging which reduces x-ray exposure to the breast, and also permits the images to be viewed on a computer monitor seconds after exposure.

The principle of Stereotactic biopsy is that a lesion can be located precisely in three dimensions by calculating its apparent change in position on angled x-ray images.

The first x-ray locates the abnormality in the breast, after which two stereo views are obtained; each angled 15 degrees to either side of the initial image.

Physician then marks the lesion electronically on the stereo images. The computer calculates how much the lesion's position appears to have changed on each of the stereo views, and in this way it is able to determine its exact site in three-dimensional space.

The first step in tissue isolation is to clean the skin and inject a local anesthesia.

A small nick is made in the skin and the tip of the biopsy needle is advanced to the calculated site of the lesion. At this point stereo images are again obtained to confirm that the needle tip actually is within the lesion.

Usually 5 to 10 samples are collected when doing a core biopsy, and at least 12 when using the Vacuum Assisted Device (VAD). Then a final set of images is obtained. If they show that the lesion has been mostly or completely removed, a small clip is left at the biopsy site so that it can be easily located if the lesion proves to be cancer.

The skin opening is covered with a dressing.

Avoid strenuous activity for 24 hours after returning home.