[Fat suppressed dynamic MR imaging of breast cancer: radiologic-pathologic correlation]

Fat-suppressed spoiled gradient-echo imaging was performed on 35 preoperative patients with breast cancer. Whole breast images using coronal sections were obtained immediately after bolus injection of Gd-DTPA. The images were reviewed regarding detectability of the lesion, irregularity of its margin, homogeneity of contrast enhancement and detectability of intraductal spread. The results were correlated with the histopathologic findings. All breast tumors were identified on dynamic MRI. The existence of mastopathy and lactating change obscured the lesion border. Scirrhous carcinomas exhibited speculation. They showed inhomogeneous enhancement, and time-intensity curves variety might be due to different amounts of fibro-connective tissue within the tumor. Solid-tubular and papillotubular carcinomas showed well-defined borders. They exhibited septum and rim enhancement corresponding to fibrous stroma. The peak of their time-intensity curves was within 3 minutes. Fifty-five percent of cases of intraductal spread were visualized on dynamic MRI. Those lesions had large numbers of cancer cells in the ducts and also showed periductal inflammation. The histologic type of breast cancer was well reflected in the enhancement pattern. The ability of dynamic MRI to detect all intraductal components of breast cancer was limited.