title: Inflammatory breast cancer: PET/CT, MRI, mammography, and sonography findings.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the role of Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), sonography, and mammography in patients with inflammatory breast cancer (IBC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients who had been newly diagnosed with IBC and who had undergone mammography, sonography, MRI, PET/CT, or a combination of these were included in this study. The visibility of breast parenchymal lesion (BPLs), skin abnormalities, regional (axillary, supraclavicular, or internal mammary) nodal disease, and distant metastatic disease was documented with the imaging techniques.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty patients (median age, 51 years, [range, 25-78 years]) were included in this study: 75 (94%) had undergone mammography, 76 (95%) sonography, 33 (41%) MRI, and 24 (30%) PET/CT. A primary BPL was found in 60 patients (80%) on mammography (mass or calcifications), 72 (95%) on sonography (mass or architectural distortion), 23 (96%) on PET/CT (hypermetabolic BPL), and 33 (100%) on MRI (enhancing BPL). Regional axillary nodal disease was found in 74 patients (93%) by histologic or cytologic examination, in 71 patients (93%) on sonography, in 21 (88%) on PET/CT, in 29 (88%) on MRI, and in 34 (45%) on mammography. Distant metastases in the bone, liver, and contralateral lymph nodes were diagnosed in nine patients (38%) on PET/CT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MRI was the most accurate imaging technique in detecting a primary BPL in IBC patients. Sonography can be useful in diagnosing regional nodal disease. PET/CT provides additional information on distant metastasis, and it should be considered in the initial staging of IBC.
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Unit 1350, Houston, TX, 77030, USA. wyang@di.mdacc.tmc.edu
authors.forename: Wei T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Huong T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Le-Petross
authors.forename: Homer
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Macapinlac
authors.forename: Selin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carkaci
authors.forename: Ana M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Angulo
authors.forename: Shaheenah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dawood
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Resetkova
authors.forename: Gabriel N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Hortobagyi
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cristofanilli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged; D009375:Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography