Related Experiment Video For Breast cancer
Updated: May 8, 2026
Tracking the Mammary Architectural Features and Detecting Breast Cancer with Magnetic Resonance Diffusion Tensor Imaging
Published on: December 15, 2014
Axillary lymph node characterization in breast cancer patients using magnetic resonance mammography: a prospective
J Krammer1, K Wasser, A Schnitzer
1Institute of Clinical Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Centre Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, 68167 Mannheim, Germany.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the capability of dynamic contrast enhanced MR-mammography (MRM) for the interpretation of axillary lymph nodes (LNs) in patients with breast cancer.
Material And Methods:
25 patients with breast cancer preoperatively underwent both FDG positron emission computed tomography (PET-CT) and dynamic contrast enhanced MRM. The maximum signal increase (SImax) and curve shape (types I-III) of contrast enhanced LNs ≥ 0.5 cm (short-axis) were analyzed in MRM and correlated to the maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax) of FDG PET-CT. 29 healthy women with MRM served as control group. Enhancement kinetics of all malignant LNs were compared to LN findings of the healthy control group.
Results:
Overall 33 contrast enhanced LNs on preoperative MRM had a corresponding FDG uptake on PET-CT. 30 of the PET positive LNs were classified as surely malignant (mean SUVmax 7.3 (± 5.4)). The mean SImax of these LNs was not significantly different to the control group (222% vs 197%), but malignant LNs had a significantly higher rate of type III curves with rapid washout (93% vs 66%, p = 0.008).
Conclusion:
The maximum signal increase is not capable of differentiating malignant from benign axillary LNs. However, since malignant LNs showed a higher frequency of rapid washout curves (type III curves) on corresponding MRM future studies should concentrate on the analysis of this parameter. In clinical routine the curve shape still should be taken with care as there is a high overlap with benign LNs.
