Stereotactic core biopsy makes use of the underlying principle of parallax to determine the depth or "Z-dimension" of the target lesion.
X-ray-guided stereotactic biopsy is used for impalpable lesions (cannot be felt manually) that are also not visible on ultrasound.
[3] Stereotactic core biopsy is necessary for evaluating atypical appearing calcifications found on mammogram of the breast.
If the calcifications exhibit the classic "teacup" appearance of benign fibrocystic changes, then a biopsy is usually not necessary.
[4] This article incorporates public domain material from Dictionary of Cancer Terms.