Rim enhancement of breast cancers on contrast-enhanced MR imaging: relationship with prognostic factors.
BACKGROUND
There is little evidence regarding associations between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features and other important histopathological prognostic factors of breast cancer. The purpose of our study was to investigate the relationship between rim enhancement on MRI and common histopathological prognostic factors of breast cancers.


METHODS
We reviewed the contrast-enhanced MR images of 106 consecutive women with histopathologically verified invasive breast carcinomas. Three radiologists assessed the images of each lesion for the presence of rim enhancement on early and delayed images, which were classified into four patterns. Statistical analyses were performed to explore the associations of these patterns with common histopathological prognostic factors and patient age.


RESULTS
Positive ratios of lymph node metastasis and blood vessel invasion and negative ratios of hormone receptors were higher in the invasive cancers with rim enhancement than those without rim enhancement. Rim enhancement was more frequent in invasive ductal cancers with a higher histological grade and larger invasive cancers. The pattern of rim enhancement with centripetal progression showed a significantly increased risk of lymph node metastasis and was associated with a larger size of invasive lesion when compared with the other patterns. Invasive cancers with rim enhancement and little change between the early and delayed images and with centrifugal progression showed significantly less hormone receptor positivity than those without rim enhancement.


CONCLUSIONS
Rim enhancement patterns of breast cancers on contrast-enhanced MRI are related to common histopathological prognostic factors and these patterns may be valuable in the preoperative evaluation of breast cancers.
Jinguji
Megumi
M
Department of Radiology, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima, 890-8544, Japan. megu@m.kufm.kagoshima-u.ac.jp
Kajiya
Yoriko
Y
Kamimura
Kiyohisa
K
Nakajo
Masayuki
M
Sagara
Yoshiaki
Y
Takahama
Tetsuya
T
Ando
Mitsutake
M
Rai
Yoshiaki
Y
Sagara
Yoshiatsu
Y
Ohi
Yasuyo
Y
Yoshida
Hiroki
H
D002288:Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D018276:Carcinoma, Medullary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011379:Prognosis
D003287:Contrast Media