[The nipple in MR mammography--the normal findings and the signs of disease].
OBJECTIVE
To differentiate between patterns of contrast enhancement in normal and pathologic nipples.


METHODS
The examinations were performed on a 1.0 T imager, using a dynamic FLASH-3D-Sequence (9/3/50 degrees). The enhancement of nipples and normal breast parenchyma was evaluated retrospectively in 156 patients. In total, 277 nipples and the parenchyma of 101 patients could be evaluated. In 5 cases histologically confirmed pathologies were found.


RESULTS
The 272 normal nipples were characterized by a slow and continuous increase of enhancement from 80% in the first minute to 300% in minute 10. The mean values of the normal parenchyma ranged from 20% in the first minute to 90% in minute 10. The five pathologic nipples showed a high initial signal increase reaching a maximum in the third minute (mean 400%) followed by a plateau. The enhancement of the normal nipples was of fine-linear morphology in the corium, while it was nodular for the pathologic nipples.


CONCLUSIONS
Normal nipples show a slowly increasing fine-linear enhancement, higher than the enhancement of normal parenchyma. Nodular enhancement with a plateau or wash-out should be considered suspicious and a further work-up is necessary.
Ohmenhäuser
K
K
Radiologische Universitätsklinik Tübingen, Abteilung für Radiologische Diagnostik, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen.
Müller-Schimpfle
M
M
Claussen
C D
CD
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001940:Breast / Q000473:pathology*; D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D009558:Nipples / Q000473:pathology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA