Three-dimensional MR imaging of mammographically detected suspicious microcalcifications.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value and clinical significance of three-dimensional MR imaging of the breast in patients with mammographically detected suspicious microcalcifications.


METHODS
Forty patients with suspicious microcalcifications on mammography were evaluated with three-dimensional MR imaging. MR findings were grouped mainly by distribution of abnormal enhancement (linear, focal-clumped, segmental-clumped, segmental-stippled and diffuse-stippled). These findings were compared with the mammography findings according to the criteria of the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) and histopathologic data.


RESULTS
Twenty patients had proven malignancies, most frequently ductal carcinoma in situ. For all the cases, linear (100%) and segmental-clumped type (100%) enhancement on MR imaging showed a significantly higher risk for malignancy. Diffuse stippled type (7%) and no enhancement (0%) on MR imaging indicated the lowest possibility of malignancy. 3D-MR imaging showed a sensitivity of 90%, a specificity of 95% and an overall accuracy of 93% in this study.


CONCLUSIONS
Three-dimensional MR imaging of the breast can more accurately diagnose ductal carcinoma in situ. Combined with mammography, this procedure is useful for reducing the number of false-positive biopsies and helpful for deciding the better management of patients with mammographically detected suspicious microcalcifications.
Nakahara
H
H
Breastopia Namba Hospital, 2-112-1 Maruyama, Miyazaki, Miyazaki 880-0052, Japan.
Namba
K
K
Fukami
A
A
Watanabe
R
R
Maeda
Y
Y
Furusawa
H
H
Matsu
T
T
Akiyama
F
F
Nakagawa
H
H
Ifuku
H
H
Nakahara
M
M
Tamura
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001940:Breast / Q000473:pathology*; D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002285:Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / Q000175:diagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged
D019786:Gadolinium DTPA