Review of Ultrasound-guided Vacuum-assisted Breast Biopsy: Techniques and Applications

Percutaneous breast biopsy using vacuum-assisted biopsy (VAB) devices has many advantages over conventional percutaneous biopsy methods such as fine needle aspiration, core biopsy, or open surgical excision. VAB is fast and simple to perform, with a very low complication rate. Multiple contiguous specimens can be obtained with single insertion of a needle. The high quality specimen obtained offers accurate histologic diagnosis. It is also a recognized method of complete excision of benign lesions. In this review article, we discuss the role of VAB in breast care. We also highlight VBA techniques and provide some practical tips for performing successful ultrasound guided VAB. Also discussed are the role of VAB in complete removal of benign lesions such as fibroadenomas, comparison of the use of VAB with other biopsy devices, the advantages and disadvantages of various types of VAB devices, and new products.