Perinodal fibrosis developed after ultrasonography-guided core-needle biopsy of a contrast-enhanced ultrasound-detected sentinel axillary node interferes with subsequent surgical sentinel node dissection.

Objective: To evaluate perinodal fibrosis after 14-gauge staging core-needle biopsy (CNB) of the axillary sentinel lymph node (SLN) identified using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) and its interference with subsequent surgical SLN dissection in breast cancer patients.

Methods: Frequencies or means of main clinical, sonographic, pathological, and surgical characteristics were calculated. We also compared patient groups with and without perinodal pathological fibrosis.

Results: Forty-eight patients who underwent CEUS + CNB and axillary surgery were eligible for this cross-sectional study. Axillary surgical specimens showed perinodal fibrosis in 9/48 (18.7%) patients. Interference with SLN dissection was reported in 4/48 (8.3%) patients (two hematomas, three abnormal palpation findings, and four difficult dissections). The overall surgical detection rate of SLN was 43/48 (89.6%). In the majority of cases, perinodal fibrosis was described as moderate (4/9 [44.4%]) or severe (4/9 [44.4%]). The mean time elapsed between CEUS + CNB and axillary dissection was shorter in patients with perinodal fibrosis (P = .04). Interference with SLN dissection was only reported in patients with perinodal fibrosis (P < .001). Surgical SLN detection was successful in all nine cases in which perinodal pathological fibrosis or interference with SLN dissection was reported.

Conclusion: Perinodal fibrosis may impair the surgical SLN dissection in early stage breast cancer patients who were staged using CEUS + CNB using a14-gauge needle.