Repeatability of quantitative MRI measurements in normal breast tissue

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Imaging
• Breast Imaging

Background:

• Accurate MRI measurements of normal breast tissue are crucial for detecting abnormalities.
• Understanding the variability and repeatability of these measurements is essential for reliable interpretation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the variability and repeatability of repeated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements in normal breast tissues.
• To establish estimates for fibroglandular tissue (FGT) density, FGT enhancement, and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in healthy breasts.

Main Methods:

• Eighteen premenopausal women underwent two contrast-enhanced MRI scans and a subset had diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI).
• Fibroglandular tissue (FGT) density and enhancement were measured, along with apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values from DWI.
• Between- and within-subject coefficients of variation (bCV, wCV), and coefficient of repeatability (CR) were assessed.

Main Results:

• Between-subject coefficients of variation (bCV) for FGT density and enhancement ranged from 47% to 63%.
• Within-subject coefficients of variation (wCV) were 13% for FGT density, 22% for FGT enhancement, and 11% for ADC.
• Coefficients of repeatability (CR) were 0.15 for FGT density, 0.19 for FGT enhancement, and 6.1 x 10(-4) mm(2)/s for ADC.

Conclusions:

• This study provides estimates for the variability and repeatability of MR measurements in normal breast tissue.
• These findings are foundational for understanding normal variation in breast MRI and setting agreement thresholds for measurements.