Inflammatory breast cancer: PET/CT, MRI, mammography, and sonography findings.
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.
Yang
Wei T
WT
The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Unit 1350, Houston, TX, 77030, USA. wyang@di.mdacc.tmc.edu
Le-Petross
Huong T
HT
Macapinlac
Homer
H
Carkaci
Selin
S
Gonzalez-Angulo
Ana M
AM
Dawood
Shaheenah
S
Resetkova
Erika
E
Hortobagyi
Gabriel N
GN
Cristofanilli
Massimo
M
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