In light of the growing availability of ultrasound testing and invasive diagnostic methods of the breast in everyday gyneco- logic practice, lesions of uncertain malignant potential, classified histologically as B3, have become a significant health issue. Intraductal papillomas (IPs) are the most common pathology in that group of lesions. Despite their benign histologic appearance, IPs may accompany malignant growths and the diagnosis made on the basis of biopsy material carries the risk of breast cancer (BC) underestimation. The article presents a review of the available literature on the management of patients diagnosed with intraductal papilloma at a standard core needle biopsy or vacuum-assisted core needle biopsy. The management is not uniform and depends not only on the verification technique or the accompanying pathological growths, but also on the result of clinical-pathological correlations. As it turns out, open surgical biopsy should not necessarily be recommended to every affected woman, and a growing number of sources have recently suggested that a control program would be sufficient in many cases. Thus, it is vital for gynecologists to be able to differentiate between those women who may be included in the annual ultrasound control program and those who require further surgical management.
Keywords: B3 breast lesions; breast cancer; core needle biopsy; intraductal papilloma; underestimation; vacuum-assisted core needle biopsy.