An 11-gauge MR-compatible system was designed for use in magnetic resonance vacuum-assisted breast biopsy. The system uses a detachable needle with minimal artifact to allow imaging after placement and before biopsy to confirm lesion location. A phantom study involving 16 biopsies of lesions smaller than 10 mm was conducted to assess the performance of this system. Fifteen (94%) of 16 biopsies resulted in successful lesion sampling. Eighty-five percent of all core samples contained specimen materials targeted lesion material. Further research to evaluate the efficiency, accuracy, and safety of this system in a patient population is recommended.
Copyright RSNA, 2004