Phyllodes Tumors and Fibroepithelial Lesions with Cellular Stroma of the Breast and Diagnosed by Sonographically Guided Core Needle Biopsy: A Comparison Between the Results of Excision Biopsy and the Sonographic Findings

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the histologic concordance of sonographically guided core needle biopsy for phyllodes tumors or fibroepithelial lesions with cellular stroma of the breast by comparing this with the outcomes of excision biopsy and to identify any sonographic features that are helpful to predict phyllodes tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 60 breast masses that were diagnosed as phyllodes tumors (n = 43) or fibroepithelial lesions with cellular stroma (n = 17) on a sonographically guided core needle biopsy. The tumors were all subsequently excised by surgery. The sonographic features were compared between the phyllodes tumors and the non-phyllodes tumors according to the results of excision biopsy. RESULTS: By the results on excision biopsy, there were 48 (80%) phyllodes tumors and 12 (20%) non-phyllodes tumors. Phyllodes tumors were diagnosed at a rate of 90.7% (39/43) for the nodules with phyllodes tumors on the sonographically guided core needle biopsy, and at a rate of 52.9% (9/17) for the nodules with fibroepithelial lesions with cellular stroma on the sonographically guided core needle biopsy. On sonography, heterogeneous internal echotexture (58% vs. 17%, respectively, p = 0.0239), clefts (56% vs. 17%, respectively, p = 0.0331) and horizontal linear striations (71% vs. 33%, respectively, p = 0.0221) were significantly more frequent in the phyllodes tumors than that in the non-phyllodes tumors. CONCLUSION: Identification of a heterogeneous-internal echotexture, clefts and horizontal linear striations on sonography might help differentiate phyllodes tumors from non-phyllodes tumors