Assessment of Ultrasound / Radio-guided Occult Lesion Localization in Non-palpable Breast Lesions

Objectives Controversy exists about the localization of non-palpable breast lesions. In many countries, the gold standard for the diagnosis of these lesions is needle localization due to its accuracy. This study sought to compare the ultrasound- and radio-guided occult lesion localization (ROLL) as a simple method with the conventional procedures in terms of their diagnostic power. Methods This study was conducted on 94 patients with non-palpable breast lesions detected by ultrasonography and localized by the combination of ultrasonography and using radiopharmaceuticals. One to ten hours prior to surgery, 0.1-0.2 ml (equivalent to 0.5-1 mCi) of Tc-99m-phytate was injected to the lesion under the guidance of ultrasonography. Then, the lesion was localized using a hand-held gamma probe, and excision of the lesion was performed according to its radioactivity signal. Data analysis was performed using SPSS, version 16. Results Benign and malignant pathologic results were observed in 77 (81.9%) and 17(18.1%) of the patients, respectively, and the mean volume of the excised tissue was 26.29±27 mm³. 79 patients had a solitary lesion (84%), 55 in the left breast (58.5%) and 39 in superolateral quadrant (41.5%). The mean size of the lesions was 15.7 mm in diameter (ranging from 4 to 34 mm). Additionally, there was a need to secondary surgery in 3 (3.2%) patients and inappropriate localization in 6 (6.4%) patients (subcutaneous or intra-ductal spread of radiodrug). Conclusion Combination of ultrasound- and radio-guided localization methods for localizing non-palpable breast lesions is a simple and acceptable method for localization with no significant complications. For radio-drug spread and subsequent excessive excised tissue volume, subcutaneous and intra-ductal lesions are not suitable indication for ROLL.