Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35132568›Full record

ArticleIrish journal of medical science2023

Clinically guided core biopsy and cutaneous punch biopsy in the evaluation of breast lesions: a necessary test or an obsolete skill?

Aqeel Alameer, Matthew Common, Sami Abd Elwahab, Michael Boland, Michael Allen, Colm Power, Niamh Hambly, Jennifer Kerr, Neasa Ni Mhuircheartaigh, Marie Staunton and 2 more

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Irish journal of medical science, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 31% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Breast and Nipple Dermatoses During Lactation.The Australasian journal of dermatology · 2025
    Review
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.

Aqeel AlameerDepartment of Surgery, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. aqeel.alameer@nhs.scot.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9383-5303
Matthew CommonDepartment of Surgery, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Sami Abd ElwahabDepartment of Surgery, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Michael BolandDepartment of Surgery, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Michael AllenDepartment of Surgery, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Colm PowerDepartment of Surgery, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Niamh HamblyDepartment of Radiology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Jennifer KerrDepartment of Radiology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Neasa Ni MhuircheartaighDepartment of Radiology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Marie StauntonDepartment of Pathology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Arnold D K HillDepartment of Surgery, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Deirdre DukeDepartment of Radiology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Beaumont Hospital · IE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThe vast majority of breast cancers are diagnosed via image-guided procedures yet despite significant advances, imaging does not identify all breast malignancies. Clinically suspicious breast lesions with normal breast imaging remain a cause for concern. The aim of this study is to determine the diagnostic value of clinical core and cutaneous punch biopsies in the diagnosis of breast malignancy in clinically suspicious lesions with normal breast imaging.

methodsAll patients with suspicious clinical breast findings and normal imaging who underwent a clinical core and/or cutaneous punch biopsy from 2012 to 2019 were reviewed retrospectively. Patients with subsequent breast malignant diagnosis were analysed.

resultsA total of 283 biopsies (166 clinical core, 117 cutaneous punch) performed over the 7-year period were included in the analysis. A total of 263/283 (93%) yielded a benign outcome. A total of 2/283 (0.7%) yielded B3 lesions (probably benign). These lesions were benign on final surgical excision. A total of 18/283 (6.3%) yielded a malignant histopathology. Sixteen out of 18 were cutaneous punch biopsies, and 2/18 were clinical core biopsies. A total of 14/18 patients presented with nipple changes, while 4/18 had a palpable area of concern. Histopathological analysis demonstrated Paget's disease of the nipple in 8/18, invasive carcinoma in 9/18 out of which two represented a recurrence of breast malignancy. Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma was diagnosed in 1/18.

conclusionClinical core and cutaneous punch biopsies remain a valuable tool in the diagnosis of breast cancer particularly in the management of clinically suspicious radiographically occult malignancies.

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsCarcinoma, Squamous CellSkin NeoplasmsBiopsyBiopsy, Large-Core NeedleFemaleHumansMammographyRetrospective StudiesBreast cancerBreast imagingBreast lumpCore biopsyMammographyPunch biopsyUltrasonography

Identifiers

PMID35132568
PMCPMC9892099
OpenAlexW4210947789

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.