Single dilated lactiferous duct due to papilloma - Ultrasonographically guided percutaneous biopsy with a vacuum-assisted device

The appearance of a solitary dilated duct on mammography may be the sole indication of breast malignancy.(1,2) This finding has a low positive predictive value for carcinoma(3) and was the most important abnormality prompting biopsy in only 4 of 300 consecutive nonpalpable breast cancers reported by Sickles.(2) Unilateral dilated ducts on mammography are most often due to benign processes but may be indications for biopsy if the finding is new or progressive, in a nonsubareolar location, or associated with indeterminate calcifications.(4) We describe the case of an asymptomatic patient with a progressively dilated duct on mammography in whom the percutaneous diagnosis of papilloma using a recently approved device obviated the need for open surgical biopsy.