Breast Imaging & Diagnosis

This is a minimally invasive procedure that established the precise diagnosis of a breast issue without the need for a surgical biopsy.

The Breast Health Center is nationally certified for stereotactic core biopsy.

How the Biopsy Will Go

• You'll be placed face down on a stereotactic table with the affected breast suspended through a hole in the table. The breast is lightly compressed to stabilize it.
• The table is connected to a computer that processes digital images to locate the abnormality.
• The radiologist will inject a local anesthetic and will make a small nick in the skin (less than ¼ inch) which will not require stitches.
• A computer guides the biopsy probe to the tissue for sampling, which is then sent to pathology for analysis.
• A tiny metal clip may be left behind as a marker of the removed abnormality. A small bandage will be placed over the incision site.
• There may be a sharp, stinging sensation when the local anesthetic is administered. During the procedure, you may feel slight discomfort or light pressure.
• After the test, the breast may be sore and tender to the touch for several days. If an incision is made, pain medication will probably be prescribed. For needle biopsy, over-the-counter pain medication should be adequate.

This is a diagnostic procedure that inserts a very small needle into a suspicious mass in order to extract some of the cells for diagnosis.

How the Biopsy Will Go

• You'll be placed on a cushioned table, slightly turned to one side with a foam cushion to support your back.
• The radiologist will inject a local anesthetic, and use ultrasound guidance to gently place the small needle into the breast and remove cells from the mass.
• If the mass is fluid, the needle will remove it all.
• If the mass is solid, the radiologist will remove a small core of tissue for biopsy.
• Pressure and an ice pack are applied to the needle insertion site, along with a small bandage. No stitches are required.

This is a minimally invasive procedure that can establish the precise diagnosis of a breast problem without the need for a surgical biopsy.

How the Biopsy Will Go

• You'll be placed on a cushioned table, on your back, slightly turned to one side with a foam cushion to support your back.
• The radiologist will inject a local anesthetic, making a small nick in the skin (less than ¼ inch) which will not require stitches.
• A small needle is gently placed into the breast and guided to the suspicious mass with ultrasound.
• Several small tissue samples are obtained, and sent to pathology for analysis.
• Pressure and an ice pack is applied to the breast for any discomfort, and a small bandage is placed over the incision.

This minimally invasive procedure is used to localize abnormalities that can't be seen by mammography or ultrasound.

It allows the surgeon to remove a small amount of breast tissue for the pathologist to make a definitive diagnosis.

How the Biopsy Will Go

• After local anesthesia, a small needle containing a wire will be inserted into the abnormal area of your breast.
• After the location of the needle is verified by additional MR imaging, the needle will be removed, leaving the wire in place in order to guide the breast surgeon to the abnormality during surgery.

A galactogram or ductogram is a procedure that is sometimes helpful in determining the cause of nipple discharge.

How the Biopsy Will Go

• Cream is placed on the nipple for local anesthesia, along with warm compresses to help stimulate a nipple discharge.
• The radiologist inserts a small catheter into the nipple through which X-ray dye will be injected.
• The technologist then takes several low dose mammograms of the breast, after which the catheter is removed.

Breast scintigraphy enables the surgeon to sample specific lymph nodes to determine whether cancer has spread beyond the breast.

In certain circumstances, breast scintigraphy can help the radiologist determine the difference between a benign or a malignant lesion.

How the Procedure Will Go

• A breast scintigraphy is performed in Nuclear Medicine
• Radioactive material is injected around the breast cancer or around the breast cancer biopsy site.
• You will be asked to lie down on a table while images similar to X-rays are taken of the breast cancer site.
• You will then be taken to the operating room, where a surgeon injects about a teaspoon of blue dye around the breast cancer or biopsy site to assist in localizing the sentinel node.
• A gamma probe will also be used to locate the targeted sentinel lymph node.

A wire localization assists a surgeon in locating a breast abnormality not felt on a manual breast exam.

The procedure allows the surgeon to remove a small amount of breast tissue for the pathologist to make a definitive diagnosis.

How the Procedure Will Go

• Under local anesthesia, a small needle containing a wire will be inserted into the area of concern.
• After the location of the needle is verified by additional mammographic views or ultrasound, the needle will be removed, leaving the wire in place in order to guide the breast surgeon to the abnormality during surgery.

A sentinel lymph node biopsy is performed to determine if invasive breast cancer has moved beyond the original tumor location via a targeted lymph node under the armpit.

If the cancer is contained within a few lymph nodes, only they need to be removed...sparing a more invasive surgical procedure.

How the Procedure Will Go

• You will first undergo a lymphoscintigraphy exam in the nuclear medicine department.
• A lymphoscintigraphy is performed by injecting radioactive material around the breast cancer or around the breast cancer biopsy site.
• You will lie down on a table while images similar to X-ray pictures are taken of the breast cancer site.
• You will then be taken to the operating room where a surgeon injects about a teaspoon of blue dye around the breast cancer or biopsy site to assist in localizing the sentinel node.
• A gamma probe will also be used to locate the targeted sentinel lymph node.