Related Experiment Videos
Suspicious breast lesions: MR imaging with radiologic-pathologic correlation
S G Orel1, M D Schnall, V A LiVolsi
1Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104.
Radiology
|February 1, 1994
Summary
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) helps differentiate breast lesions. While some MRI characteristics overlap between benign and malignant tumors, border and internal features can aid in diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Oncology
- Pathology
Background:
- Breast lesion characterization is crucial for diagnosis.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers advanced visualization techniques.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the architectural and enhancement patterns of breast lesions using MRI.
- To assess the diagnostic utility of MRI in differentiating benign from malignant breast lesions.
Main Methods:
- Forty-one patients with mammographically or palpably detected breast lesions underwent MRI.
- Imaging protocols included T1-weighted, fat-saturated T2-weighted fast spin-echo, and contrast-enhanced fat-saturated spoiled gradient-echo sequences.
- All lesions were subsequently evaluated through excisional biopsy or cyst aspiration.
Main Results:
- MRI identified 15 of 16 carcinomas, often with irregular borders.
- Benign fibroadenomas (9 of 10 visualized) typically presented with well-defined borders.
- Both lesion types showed variable T2-weighted signal intensity and contrast enhancement; rim enhancement was noted in five lesions.
- Time-intensity curves did not significantly differentiate between fibroadenomas and cancers.
Conclusions:
- A significant overlap exists in MRI signal intensity and enhancement profiles between benign and malignant breast lesions.
- Key differentiating features include border characteristics, internal architecture, enhancement patterns, and the presence of associated cysts.
- MRI findings, when combined with clinical and imaging data, can aid in lesion identification.