Stereotactic biopsy, also known as stereotactic core biopsy, is a biopsy

Biopsy

A biopsy is a medical test involving sampling of cells or tissues for examination. It is the medical removal of tissue from a living subject to determine the presence or extent of a disease. The tissue is generally examined under a microscope by a pathologist, and can also be analyzed chemically...

 procedure that uses a computer and imaging performed in at least two planes to localize a target lesion (such as a tumor

Tumor

A tumor or tumour is commonly used as a synonym for a neoplasm that appears enlarged in size. Tumor is not synonymous with cancer...

 or microcalcifications in the breast) in three-dimensional space and guide the removal of tissue for examination by a pathologist under a microscope

Microscope

A microscope is an instrument used to see objects that are too small for the naked eye. The science of investigating small objects using such an instrument is called microscopy...

. Stereotactic core biopsy makes use of the underlying principle of parallax

Parallax

Parallax is a displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight, and is measured by the angle or semi-angle of inclination between those two lines. The term is derived from the Greek παράλλαξις , meaning "alteration"...

 to determine the depth or "Z-dimension" of the target lesion.

Stereotactic core biopsy is extensively used by radiologists specializing in breast imaging to obtain tissue samples containing microcalcifications

Microcalcification

Microcalcifications are tiny specks of mineral deposits , that can be scattered throughout the mammary gland, or occur in clusters. When found on a mammogram, a radiologist will then decide whether the specks are of concern - usually, this is not the case...

, which can be an early sign of breast cancer.

External links

• Stereotactic biopsy entry in the public domain NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms