Pseudoaneurysm of the breast following a core needle biopsy: report of two cases

Abstract

Introduction: Core needle biopsy (CNB) is the gold standard for histopathological diagnosis of breast masses. However, rare complications may occur after undergoing CNB, including hematoma and pseudoaneurysm (PA) of the breast. Cases presentation: Case 1: 66-year-old woman with a mass in the left breast who underwent CNB without complications. After approximately eleven months, she noticed a palpable and pulsatile mass in her left breast. She was diagnosed with a PA (1.6x1.3cm) by means of a Doppler ultrasound (US) and breast magnetic resonance imaging, which was surgically resected without any complication using local anesthesia. Case 2: 44-year-old woman with a mass in the left breast. After undergoing CNB, she developed ecchymosis and a palpable and pulsatile mass in her left breast. A Doppler US showed a 1.4x0.7cm cystic lesion suggestive of a breast PA. The mass was surgically resected without complications using local anesthesia and sedation. Conclusion: Breast PA is an extremely rare complication of CNB, with only 17 cases reported in PubMed to date. However, it should be highly suspected in the presence of warning signs such as bleeding, hematoma, and a palpable and/or pulsatile breast mass after undergoing CNB.

Keywords

• Vascular diseases
• Pseudoaneurysm
• Breast
• Case reports