Quantification of breast tumor microvascular permeability with feruglose-enhanced MR imaging: initial phase II multicenter trial.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate use of the macromolecular contrast agent feruglose for differentiating and grading of human benign and malignant breast tumors on the basis of their microvascular characteristics.


METHODS
Sixty-three women with 63 primary breast lesions were examined with dynamic T1-weighted gradient-echo magnetic resonance (MR) imaging after intravenous injection of feruglose. A two-compartment unidirectional kinetic model applied to the dynamic data yielded estimates of the endothelial transfer coefficient, KPS, and the fractional plasma volume of the tumors. These MR imaging-derived parameters were correlated with the histologic tumor grade and quantified according to the Scarff-Bloom-Richardson (SBR) score by means of Pearson product moment correlation analyses. Differences between malignant and nonmalignant breast lesions with respect to KPS for feruglose were evaluated by means of the chi2 test and by calculating the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values.


RESULTS
Histologic analysis revealed 26 benign and 37 malignant tumors. A moderate yet statistically significant correlation between KPS and SBR score was found (R = 0.496, P <.001). No significant correlation was observed between fractional plasma volume and SBR score (R = 0.085, P =.507). The KPS values were zero for 19 (73%) of the 26 benign tumors and were greater than zero for 27 (73%) of the 37 carcinomas. This distribution was significantly different (chi2 = 13.035, P =.001). With the criterion KPS > 0 in carcinomas, sensitivity was 0.73, specificity was 0.73, and the positive predictive value was 0.79.


CONCLUSIONS
Quantitative measures of tumor microvascular permeability can be used for breast tumor characterization. The probability of breast tumor microvascular hyperpermeability to be associated with malignancy is 79%.
Dept of Radiology, Univ Hosp, Technical Univ of Munich, Ismaningerstr 22, 81675 Munich, Germany. daldrup@roe.med.tum.de
Heike E
HE
Daldrup-Link
Jana
J
Rydland
Thomas H
TH
Helbich
Atle
A
Bjørnerud
Karl
K
Turetschek
Kjell Arne
KA
Kvistad
Elisabeth
E
Kaindl
Thomas M
TM
Link
Karin
K
Staudacher
David
D
Shames
Robert C
RC
Brasch
Olav
O
Haraldseth
Ernst J
EJ
Rummeny
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D002199:Capillary Permeability / Q000502:physiology*; D003287:Contrast Media; D003911:Dextrans; D005260:Female; D052203:Ferrosoferric Oxide; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; D008875:Middle Aged; D010087:Oxides; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D003287:Contrast Media; D003911:Dextrans; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; D010087:Oxides; C097921:ferumoxtran-10; D007501:Iron; D052203:Ferrosoferric Oxide