The aim of this study was to assess whether the complete removal of a breast mass using ultrasound (US) guided mammotome biopsy was successful using a marginal biopsy after insuring the total visual excision of the breast mass on US images. The relationship of complete breast mass removal, and the hematoma, mass size and shape were also evaluated.

A US guided mammotome biopsy was performed in a total of 136 cases in 133 patients, with marginal biopsies also added when the complete removal of breast mass had been identified by sonography. The results of the marginal biopsies were serially dividing into three groups, as follows: group I were the cases in the initial 6 months, group II after the initial 6 months and group III having undergone two marginal biopsies. The marginal biopsies were performed in four directions around the probe, with "marginal positivity" defined as the same histopathological findings to that of the main mass in at least one direction. A statistical analysis was also used to evaluate between the marginal positivity and the hematoma, mass size and shape.

The marginal positivities of groups I, II and III were 48.8, 29.4 and 45.5%, respectively. The marginal positivity of those with a lobular shaped mass was significantly higher (p=0.0121) than those with round or oval shaped masses (61.5 vs. 33.7 vs. 50%), but showed no statistical relationship with hematoma size of the lesions

Although the lesions were removed by US using a US-guided mammotome biopsy, many residual lesions were still histologically present in the marginal samplings, especially in the lobular shaped masse