title: Characterization of tumoral lesions of the breast: preliminary experience with multislice spiral CT.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to validate low dose Multislice Spiral Computed Tomography (MSCT) in the diagnosis of breast lesions. Fourteen patients with mammographic and ultrasound findings suspect of malignant neoplasm underwent dynamic MSCT of the breast under basal conditions and 1, 3, and 6 minutes after intravenous injection of iodinated contrast medium. Both enhancement of the lesion >100% without further increase after 6 minutes, and irregular margins of the lesion were considered signs of malignancy. All lesions were examined cytologically and/or histologically. A correct diagnosis was achieved by MSCT in 7/8 malignant lesions, and in 6/6 benign lesions. The only malignant lesion missed by MSCT was histologically a ductal carcinoma in situ (false negative). In one case the MSCT showed the multifocality of an infiltrating ductal carcinoma, and in another it defined the bilaterality of the malignant lesions. Sensitivity and specificity of MSCT in the diagnosis of malignancy of a lesion were 88% and 100%, respectively. Our results suggest that MSCT is an effective diagnostic method to define suspicious breast lesions, and a valid alternative to Magnetic Resonance Imaging, especially when the latter is not feasible.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Surgery "Pietro Valdoni", University of Rome "La Sapienza" Medical School, Rome, Italy. luciano.izzo@uniroma1.it
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Izzo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stasolla
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Basso
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caputo
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kharrub
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marini
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mingazzini
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fiori
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Galati
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: D'Aprile
authors.forename: L Lo
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Mele
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marini
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008327:Mammography / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes