[Fine-wire localizations in non palpable breast lesions].

Background: Breast cancer represents a major health problem in Tunisia. Mammography allows screening and early diagnosis of breast cancer. The Harpoon allows the location of these small lesions in order to have a histological study and to adapt the management.

Aim: To demonstrate on one hand, the feasibility and the safeness of the fine-wire localizations of breast lesions due to the collaboration of radiologists and gynecologists, and on the other hand, to show the possibility of outpatient management in these cases.

Methods: Our study is a retrospective study reporting 45 patients who had fine wire breast lesion localization, in the department "C" of the center of maternity and neonatology of Tunis, during a period of 5 years and a half.

Results: The rate of malignant lesions was 22.4 % among the patients who had screening mammographies with nine breast cancers among which two bifocal. The rate of in situ cancer was 33.3 % and invasive cancers 66.6 % allowing a less aggressive treatment of a third of the patients. The 38 patients were taken in charge in ambulatory reducing the cost of hospitalization. In our series, we didn't have any complication during the insertion of the harpoon.

Conclusion: Fine wire breast lesion localization with harpoon is an easy elegant method, under expert hands, allowing a rapid diagnosis compulsory in breast cancers.