title: Is there a correlation in breast carcinomas between tumor size and number of tumor vessels detected by gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance mammography?
abstract: Tumor vessels are known as a sign of malignancy in breast tumors. Is there a correlation between tumor size and the number of vessels in cases of breast tumor examined by dynamic gadolinium (Gd)-enhanced MR imaging? Eighteen patients (mean age, 46 +/- 7 years) underwent dynamic Gd-enhanced MR imaging of the breast by three-dimensional gradient echo sequence using thin-layer technique (2.5 mm) at 1.5T. The dynamic study included one precontrast and four postcontrast sequences (every 90 seconds) in coronal slices. Postprocessing by subtraction method and reconstruction in both transverse and sagittal planes were performed. All carcinomas showed rapid Gd enhancement. Tumor size (0.5 to 31.5 cm3; mean, 6.3 +/- 3.7 cm3) and number of vessels (1 to 10; mean, 3 +/- 2.1) were detected in summation of all three directions. A significant correlation was found between number of vessels and tumor size (r = 0.787, p < or = 0.01). Breast tumor size significantly correlated with the number of vessels detected by Gd-enhanced MR mammography. The introduced method is a further important step in differentiating a carcinoma from a benign lesion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Virchow-Klinikum, Humboldt-University, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Siewert
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oellinger
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Sherif
authors.forename: J U
authors.initials: JU
authors.lastname: Blohmer
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hadijuana
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Felix
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000098:blood supply / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D018226:Fibroadenoma / Q000098:blood supply / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008327:Mammography / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D004369:Pentetic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D004369:Pentetic Acid; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA