title: Benign or malignant?: differentiating breast lesions with computed tomography attenuation values on dynamic computed tomography mammography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate enhancement effects of breast lesions with dynamic computed tomography (CT) and to determine characteristics to aid in differential diagnosis of benign and malignant lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred seventy-six women underwent preoperative dynamic CT, in which they were scanned with rapid injection of contrast media (3 mL/s) after 30 seconds and 2 minutes (early and delayed phases, respectively). The CT values and enhancement patterns of malignant lesions (n = 154) were compared with those of benign lesions (n = 22), and the cut point of CT values with the best validity was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The CT values of malignant lesions were higher than those of benign lesions in both phases (P < 0.0001). The cut point was determined to be 60 Hounsfield units (HU) in the early phase (44% validity, 90% sensitivity). Washout and plateau patterns were more commonly seen in the malignant group (73% specificity).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The analysis of enhancement effects on CT may lead to more appropriate differentiation of benign and malignant lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Kyoto City Hospital, Kyoto, Japan. kanae3@sea.plala.or.jp
authors.forename: Kanae
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyake
authors.forename: Katsumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hayakawa
authors.forename: Mizuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishino
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Taisuke
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Morimoto
authors.forename: Yoji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Urata
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanikake
authors.forename: Shotaro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kanao
authors.forename: Toshiki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shiozaki
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007479:Iopamidol; D008327:Mammography / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D007479:Iopamidol