Radio-Pathological Concordance in Ultrasound-Guided Core Needle Biopsies of Breast Lesions: A Retrospective Study
Radio-Pathological Concordance in Ultrasound-Guided Core Needle Biopsies of Breast Lesions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54393/pjhs.v7i10.3211Keywords:
Ultrasound Guided Core Needle Biopsy, Breast Lesions, Radio-Pathological, Concordance, DiscordanceAbstract
Breast cancer is the leading malignancy among women in Pakistan, often presenting at advanced stages. Accurate, minimally invasive diagnostic methods such as ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy (CNB) are critical in optimizing care and resource allocation. Objectives: To see the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy (CNB) in breast lesions, assess radio-pathological concordance and discordance, and improve standards of clinical care and resource utilization. Methods: This retrospective study included female outpatients and walk-in patients aged 15–80 years who underwent ultrasound-guided CNB for breast lesions at the Department of Radiology, Memon Medical Institute Hospital, Karachi, between 1 August 2024 and 31 July 2025. Data were retrieved from the electronic health records and analyzed for demographic characteristics, lesion features, histopathological findings, and radio-pathological concordance. Data were analyzed using RStudio. Results: One hundred and eleven ultrasound-guided core-needle biopsies were analyzed (mean age 44.7 ± 14.5 years). Lesions were almost evenly split between the right (50.5%) and left (49.5%) breasts; 88 lesions (79.3%) measured >2 cm. Histopathology showed 55 benign (49.5%), 46 malignant (41.4%), and 10 inadequate (9%) cores. Among the 101 cases with complete radiological–histopathological pairing, concordance was 89.1% for benign lesions and 95.7% for malignant lesions, resulting in an overall concordance of 92.1% (sensitivity, 95.7%; specificity, 89.1%). Conclusions: Ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy is an indispensable, effective, less invasive, and cost-effective tool for accurate and early diagnosis, significantly reducing the need for unnecessary surgical interventions; excisional or incisional biopsy for diagnosis, while providing crucial histological and molecular data for treatment decisions.
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