MR characterization of suspicious breast lesions with a gadolinium-enhanced TurboFLASH subtraction technique.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the utility of gadolinium-enhanced dynamic magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with turbo fast low-angle shot (TurboFLASH) technique in the differentiation of benign from malignant lesions of the breast.


METHODS
Contrast material-enhanced MR images were obtained at intervals of 2.3 seconds for 2 minutes. After the first four images were obtained, contrast medium was intravenously injected within 10 seconds. Lesions that enhanced within 11.5 seconds after the aorta opacified were regarded as malignant. Lesions that enhanced more than 11.5 seconds after the aorta were regarded as benign. A centrifugal pattern of enhancement was regarded as a sign that a lesion was benign.


RESULTS
Eighty-seven lesions were evaluated. Histologic examination showed 65 lesions were malignant and 22 were benign. Gadolinium-enhanced TurboFLASH imaging had a sensitivity of 95%, a specificity of 86%, and an overall accuracy of 93% in differentiating benign from malignant lesions.


CONCLUSIONS
Gadolinium-enhanced TurboFLASH imaging is a valuable method in the examination of breast lesions suspected of being malignant.
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, St Radbound University Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
C
C
Boetes
J O
JO
Barentsz
R D
RD
Mus
R F
RF
van der Sluis
L J
LJ
van Erning
J H
JH
Hendriks
R
R
Holland
S H
SH
Ruys
D001940:Breast / Q000473:pathology*; D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003287:Contrast Media; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008536:Meglumine; D008875:Middle Aged; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D004369:Pentetic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013382:Subtraction Technique; D013997:Time Factors
D003287:Contrast Media; D004338:Drug Combinations; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D008536:Meglumine; D004369:Pentetic Acid; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA