Improved visualization of breast lesions with gadolinium-enhanced magnetization transfer MR imaging.
A pulse sequence with magnetization transfer as the main contrast mechanism (MT-FLASH) was developed for improved imaging of breast lesions that requires neither fat suppression nor postprocessing. After optimization of the sequence in phantom and volunteer studies, a clinical pilot study with 14 patients was performed. In carcinomas the relative signal increase after Gd-DTPA administration was on average 34% in MT-FLASH images compared with 169% in conventional T1-weighted (T1W) three-dimensional FLASH images. In MT-FLASH images, all lesions demonstrated a signal intensity higher than that of fat; in T1W images, all lesions have a lower signal intensity. The average postcontrast carcinoma-to-fat contrast-to-noise ratios were +11.6 and -14.2, respectively. The conspicuity of 12 of 13 carcinomas was improved in postcontrast MT-FLASH imaging enables excellent visualization of Gd-DTPA-enhancing breast lesions.
Schreiber
W G
WG
Department of Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (dkfz), Heidelberg, Germany.
Brix
G
G
Knopp
M V
MV
Hess
T
T
Lorenz
W J
WJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001940:Breast / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000175:diagnosis; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D005348:Fibrocystic Breast Disease / Q000175:diagnosis; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D004369:Pentetic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D010865:Pilot Projects
D003287:Contrast Media; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D004369:Pentetic Acid; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA