[Multi-section magnetic susceptibility perfusion echo-planar imaging of the breast].
OBJECTIVE
To examine the diagnostic value of multi-section magnetic susceptibility perfusion echo-planar imaging (perfusion EPI) in patients with breast tumors prior to T1-weighted dynamic MRI.


METHODS
MR imaging was performed in 75 patients with pathologically proved breast tumors using a 1.5 Tesla MR unit (MAGNETOM Symphony, Siemens Medical Solutions, Erlangen, Germany). Perfusion EPI was carried out before, during, and after the bolus injection of 0.1 mmol Gd-DTPA/kg. Two patients had two carcinomas in the same breast, one patient had both a benign and a malignant lesion in the same breast, and two patients had lesions in both breasts. Histopathological diagnosis was non-invasive ductal carcinoma in 9, invasive carcinoma in 49, and benign lesion in 22. The first-pass signal intensity loss of the lesions was calculated by perfusion EPI.


RESULTS
Fifty-one of 58 carcinomas but only 4 of 22 benign lesions had a signal intensity loss of 20% or more during the first pass, for a sensitivity of 88% and specificity of 82%


CONCLUSIONS
Perfusion EPI can be used as a useful diagnostic tool for differentiation between benign and malignant lesions. It is also thought to be a promising method for diagnosing multifocal breast lesions.
Tozaki
Mitsuhiro
M
Department of Radiology, The Jikei University School of Medicine.
Fukuda
Yasushi
Y
Fukuda
Kunihiko
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001940:Breast / Q000473:pathology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged