title: Differentiating benign and malignant breast lesions with T2*-weighted first pass perfusion imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Invasive breast carcinomas and fibroadenomas are often difficult to differentiate in dynamic contrast-enhanced T1-weighted MR imaging of the breast, because both tumors can enhance strongly after contrast injection. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the addition of T2*-weighted first pass perfusion imaging can increase the differentiation of malignant from benign lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine patients with invasive carcinomas and 10 patients with contrast enhancing fibroadenomas were examined by a dynamic contrast-enhanced T1-weighted 3D sequence immediately followed by a single slice T2*-weighted first pass perfusion sequence positioned in the contrast-enhancing lesion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The carcinomas and the fibroadenomas were impossible to differentiate based on the contrast enhancement characteristics in the T1-weighted sequence. The signal loss in the T2*-weighted perfusion sequence was significantly stronger in the carcinomas than in the fibroadenomas (p = 0.0004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Addition of a T2*-weighted first pass perfusion sequence with a high temporal resolution can probably increase the differentiation of fibroadenomas from invasive carcinomas in contrast-enhanced MR imaging of the breast.
authors.affiliation: MR-Center, University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kvistad
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lundgren
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Fjøsne
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Smenes
authors.forename: H B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Smethurst
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Haraldseth
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001940:Breast / Q000473:pathology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003287:Contrast Media; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D018226:Fibroadenoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005348:Fibrocystic Breast Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity