Frequency and upgrade rates of atypical ductal hyperplasia diagnosed at stereotactic vacuum-assisted breast biopsy: 9-versus 11-gauge.

OBJECTIVE: Our goals were to determine the frequency and upgrade rate for atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH) diagnosed with stereotactic 9-gauge vacuum-assisted breast biopsy and to compare the frequencies and upgrade rates of ADH between 9- and 11-gauge vacuum-assisted breast biopsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the pathology results of 991 consecutive 9- or 11-gauge stereotactic vacuum-assisted breast biopsy procedures from February 2001 through June 2006 and identified lesions diagnosed as ADH. The final diagnosis after surgical excision was determined from medical records. The frequencies and upgrade rates to carcinoma were calculated for all ADH lesions and compared between 9- and 11-gauge procedures. The number of core samples was recorded and compared. RESULTS: One hundred forty-one of 991 (14.2%) lesions yielded a diagnosis of ADH at 9- or 11-gauge stereotactic vacuum-assisted breast biopsy. Upgrade to ductal carcinoma in situ or invasive carcinoma occurred in 26 of 123 (21.1%) patients. The frequency of ADH was 83 of 600 (13.8%) lesions for 9-gauge and 58 of 391 (14.8%) lesions for 11-gauge vacuum-assisted breast biopsy. The 9-gauge upgrade rate was 16 of 74 (21.6%) lesions compared with 10 of 49 (20.4%) lesions for 11-gauge vacuum-assisted breast biopsy. There was no significant difference between the number of core samples obtained with each device (p=0.40). Neither the frequency of ADH (p=0.66) nor the upgrade rates (p=0.87) were significantly different between 9- and 11-gauge vacuum-assisted breast biopsy. CONCLUSION: Compared with an 11-gauge vacuum-assisted breast biopsy device, the use of a larger 9-gauge vacuum-assisted breast biopsy needle does not decrease the upgrade rate of ADH. Our frequency of ADH at vacuum-assisted breast biopsy is higher than any previously reported and may reflect regional differences in the incidence of breast cancer or practice patterns of the pathologist.

MR hysterosalpingography with an angiographic time-resolved 3D pulse sequence: assessment of tubal patency.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study was to determine if tubal patency can be assessed by MR hysterosalpingography (HSG) using a clinically available MR angiographic sequence (3D time-resolved imaging of contrast kinetics [TRICKS]). This capability would enhance the value of MRI in women with infertility. CONCLUSION: MR HSG effectively shows tubal patency and can be considered when both conventional HSG and standard MRI are necessary for the evaluation of women with infertility, such as in women with suspected uterine anomalies or extrauterine disease.

Is surgical excision necessary for focal atypical ductal hyperplasia found at stereotactic vacuum-assisted breast biopsy?

BACKGROUND: Our goal was to determine the upgrade rate for lesions described as focal atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH) after 9- or 11-gauge stereotactic vacuum-assisted breast biopsy (VABB) to determine whether surgical excision is indicated in this setting. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the results of 991 consecutive 9- or 11-gauge stereotactic core VABB procedures from February 2001 through June 2006 and identified lesions diagnosed as ADH. On the basis of the descriptions in pathology reports each lesion was placed in one of three categories: (1) focal ADH, (2) ADH suspicious for ductal carcinoma-in-situ, or (3) ADH not otherwise specified. The final diagnosis after surgical excisional biopsy was determined from medical records. The frequencies and upgrade rates to carcinoma were calculated and compared for all lesions and for each ADH category. RESULTS: A total of 141 (14.2%) of 991 lesions yielded ADH at stereotactic core VABB, and 123 (87.2%) of 141 underwent surgical excisional biopsy of the stereotactic core VABB site. A total of 56 (45.5%) of 123 were categorized as focal ADH, and 7 (12.5%) of 56 were upgraded to carcinoma. A total of 49 (39.8%) of 123 were categorized as ADH not otherwise specified, and 11 (22.4%) of 49 were upgraded. Eighteen (14.6%) of 123 were categorized as suspicious for ductal carcinoma-in-situ, and 8 (44.4%) of 18 were upgraded. Neither the frequency of ADH (P = .66) nor the upgrade rates (P = .87) were significantly different between 9- and 11-gauge VABB. CONCLUSION: Surgical excisional biopsy is indicated to exclude carcinoma in cases of focal ADH discovered at 9- or 11-gauge VABB.

Use of microcalcification descriptors in BI-RADS 4th edition to stratify risk of malignancy.

PURPOSE: To retrospectively evaluate whether microcalcification descriptors and the categorization of microcalcification descriptors in the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) 4th edition help stratify the risk of malignancy, by using biopsy and clinical follow-up as reference standards. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The institutional review board approved this HIPAA-compliant study and waived informed consent. The study included 115 women (age range, 26-82 years; mean age, 55.8 years +/- 10.5 [standard deviation]) who consecutively underwent image-guided biopsy of microcalcifications between November 2001 and October 2002. Screening and diagnostic mammograms (including magnification views) obtained before biopsy were analyzed in a blinded manner by a subspecialty-trained breast imager who recorded BI-RADS descriptors on a checklist. The proportion of malignant cases was used as the outcome variable to evaluate the ability of the descriptors to help capture the risk of malignancy. Fisher exact test was used to calculate the difference among the individual descriptors and descriptor categories. RESULTS: The positive predictive value of biopsy for malignancy was 21.7%. Each calcification morphologic descriptor was able to help stratify the probability of malignancy as follows: coarse heterogeneous, one (7%) of 14; amorphous, four (13%) of 30; fine pleomorphic, 10 (29%) of 34; and fine linear, 10 (53%) of 19. Fisher exact test results revealed a significant difference among these descriptor categories (P = .005). Significant differences among the risks suggested by microcalcification distribution descriptors (P = .004) and between that of stability descriptors (P = .001) were found. CONCLUSION: The microcalcification descriptors and categories in BI-RADS 4th edition help predict the risk of malignancy for suspicious microcalcifications.

Does assessment of pretest probability of disease improve the utility of echocardiography in suspected endocarditis in children?

OBJECTIVE: To compare the yield rate (YR) of echocardiography when evaluating children with suspected infectious endocarditis (IE) in both the actual clinical setting and in the hypothetic setting where strict clinical criteria are applied. Study design Medical records of 101 children undergoing echocardiography for suspected IE were reviewed. Echocardiograms with positive findings were identified and the actual diagnostic YR was calculated. With the use of clinical criteria proposed by von Reyn (VR), the probability of IE was retrospectively classified as (1) rejected, (2) possible, or (3) probable. Theoretic YR of echocardiography was calculated for each classification. RESULTS: The actual YR of echocardiography was 12% (12/101). The YR of echocardiography by VR class was 0% in rejected, 20% in possible, and 80% in probable cases (chi(2) = 55.1, P <.0001). Echocardiography did not change the probability of IE in any patient classified as rejected, but allowed reassignment of disease probability in a significant proportion of patients with possible or probable IE. CONCLUSIONS: The YR of echocardiography was significant when clinical probability of IE was intermediate-to-high, and low, with marginal clinical utility, when clinical probability was low. Strict pretest assessment of disease probability may lead to more effective utilization of echocardiography in this population.

Severity of bipolarity in hospitalized manic adolescents with history of stimulant or antidepressant treatment.

BACKGROUND: Childhood bipolarity (BP) and ADHD frequently co-occur, these children often receive stimulants. METHOD: We retrospectively evaluated 80 adolescents hospitalized with BP, manic or mixed, assessed severity of hospital course, and compared groups according to current/past stimulant or antidepressant treatment. RESULTS: Lifetime ADHD rate was 49%; 35% of patients had exposure to stimulants and 44% to antidepressants. Stimulant-exposed patients were younger than non-exposed (mean+/-S.D.=13.7+/-2 vs. 15.1+/-2 years, Z=-3.1, P=0.002). Only stimulant exposure was associated with worse hospitalization course (MANCOVA, Wilks' Lambda=0.87, F=3.4; df=70; P=0.02). CONCLUSION: Stimulant-exposed BP-adolescents may have more severe illness course not fully explained by ADHD comorbidity. LIMITATIONS: Retrospective methodology and lack of structured interviewing make it difficult to quantify exposure to stimulants and antidepressants.