The aim of this study was to determine whether pre-operative MR mammography could predict the extent of breast cancer in patients with dense breasts or whether dense parenchyma will lead to false-positive or inconclusive examinations. Sixty-seven patients with dense breasts with a malignant breast tumor planned for conservative surgery were reviewed. Detection rates of mammography, ultrasound, and MR mammography were studied, and the diameters of the lesions were measured and compared with pathological examination. Pathology revealed breast cancer in 65 patients. Sensitivity for detection of index lesions was 83% for mammography, 70.8% for ultrasound, and 98% for MR mammography. Mammography underestimated tumor extent in 37%, ultrasound in 40%, and MR in 12.5%. Of the 20 patients (31%) with multifocal or multicentric carcinoma, mammography detected the lesions in 35%, ultrasound in 30%, and MR in 100%, with a false-positive rate of 12.5, 14, and 23%. The MR mammography is more accurate in assessing tumor extent and multifocality in patients with dense breasts, but benign changes may lead to false-positive examinations.
To investigate the use of MRI in preoperative characterization of invasive lobular breast cancer (ILC) and in detection of multifocal/multicentric disease. We retrospectively reviewed T1-weighted FLASH 3D precontrast and postcontrast MR images together with subtraction images of 26 women with histopathologically proven invasive lobular cancer. Two experienced radiologists described tumor patterns of ILC independently. MR findings of unifocal, multifocal, single quadrant and multiquadrant disease were correlated with results of other imaging techniques and compared with histopathological findings as gold standard. Most ILC presented on MRI as a single spiculated/irregular, inhomogeneous mass (pattern 1, n=12) or as a dominant lesion surrounded by multiple small enhancing foci (pattern 2, n=8). Multiple small enhancing foci with interconnecting enhancing strands (pattern 3) and an architectural distortion (pattern 4) were both described in three cases. There was one case of a focal area of inhomogeneous enhancement (pattern 5) and one normal MR examination (pattern 6). Unifocal and multifocal lesions were identified on MRI in four patients with normal conventional imaging. In nine women, multiple additional lesions or more extensive multiquadrant disease were correctly identified only on MRI. MRI may play an important role in the evaluation of patients with ILC, which is often difficult to diagnose on clinical examination and conventional imaging and more likely occur in multiple sites and in both breasts. However, false-negative MR findings do occur in a small percentage of ILC.
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