Suspicious breast lesions: MR imaging with radiologic-pathologic correlation.

Abstract

There is an overlap in the signal intensity characteristics and enhancement profiles of benign and malignant lesions. However, border characteristics, internal architecture, enhancement characteristics, and the presence of multiple tiny associated cysts may be important clues to lesion identification.

Optimal post‐contrast timing of breast MR image acquisition for architectural feature analysis

“…Some investigators who have concentrated on T1-weighted, time-signal intensity characteristics of gadolinium enhancement report very high specificities (83%-97%) (6,7,(17)(18)(19), but others have seen no significant difference between benign and malignant abnormalities (2,5,20). Investigators who have tried to directly compare the use of contrast enhancement kinetics to the use of architectural features have found architectural features to be superior to quantitative kinetic indices alone (13,14).…”

“…However, both high spatial resolution architectural imaging data and high temporal resolution contrast kinetic data could ideally be obtained in a single MR examination, and perhaps used in combination for greater diagnostic accuracy. Some investigators (21) have been evaluating single pulse sequences to try to allow this occurrence, but their spatial resolution does not yet equal that of studies designed to maximize spatial resolution (2)(3)(4)22,23). Although pulse sequences have been reported that can obtain both high spatial and high temporal resolution concurrently, their efficacy has not yet been clinically tested (24).…”

“…REPORTED SENSITIVITIES FOR breast magnetic resonance (MR) imaging have been consistently high, usually in the range of 94%-100% (1,2). Reported specificities have been generally lower and highly variable, ranging from 37%-97% (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6).…”

“…Reported specificities have been generally lower and highly variable, ranging from 37%-97% (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6). Many techniques are being investigated for their potential to improve the specificity of MR imaging of breast abnormalities, including architectural feature analysis (3), T1-weighted, timecourse of contrast enhancement evaluation (6,7), T2*-weighted first pass perfusion imaging (8), and MR spectroscopy (9).…”

Dynamic High-Spatial-Resolution MR Imaging of Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Influence of Histological Scirrhous Component on MR Descriptors

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] DiŠerences in the characteristics of MR enhancement between benign and malignant lesions are believed to re‰ect diŠerences in vascularity, vessel permeability, and extracellular diŠusion space. In addition, several morphologic characteristics and kinetic patterns on MR imaging in breast carcinoma are primarily explained by the histological structures of the lesions, [9][10][11] such as centralˆbrosis, central necrosis, marginalˆbrosis, and the degree of tumor angiogenesis.…”