Advanced breast biopsy instrumentation (ABBI) - Histological assessment of a new examination method

The ABBI (advanced breast biopsy instrumentation) system has only recently been available for diagnostic excisional biopsy of small, non-palpable lesions of the breast. Between 1.1.1998 and 31.3.1999 this method was utilized in 40 patients with suspicious microcalcifications (n=25), newly developed densities (n=11) and a combination of microcalcifications and densities (n=4). In 12 cases malignancy was diagnosed, in 11 cases a subsequent resection was performed. In every case sufficient tissue for diagnosis was obtained, in not a single case the diagnosis had to be revised in case of subsequent resection. Orientation within the specimen is accurate, the resection margins can be judged unequivocally. Any necessary special examinations can be performed on the resected tissue. In our experience, ABBI is a valuable and elegant tool for diagnosing small suspicious lesions of the breast.