Epithelial ovarian tumors: value of dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging and correlation with tumor angiogenesis.
OBJECTIVE
To retrospectively evaluate the diagnostic performance of dynamic contrast material-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for the characterization of ovarian epithelial tumors, by using histologic findings as the reference standard, and to correlate dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging findings with angiogenesis biomarkers.


METHODS
Ethics committee approval was obtained, with waiver of informed consent. Patients consented to having their data used for future retrospective research. Forty-one women (age range, 22-73 years) with 48 epithelial ovarian tumors underwent dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging before surgical excision. In case of bilateral tumors (n = 7), only the most complex tumor was analyzed. Thus, 41 tumors (12 benign, 13 borderline, and 16 invasive) were examined with dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging and immunohistochemical methods. Dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging parameters (enhancement amplitude [EA], time of half rising [T(max)], and maximal slope [MS]) were analyzed according to histopathologic findings, microvessel density, pericyte coverage index (PCI), and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2) expression. Statistical analyses were performed by using Kruskal-Wallis, Fisher exact, and Spearman tests and receiver operating curve analysis.


RESULTS
EA was higher for invasive tumors than for benign (P < .001) and borderline (P < .05) tumors. T(max) was longer for benign tumors than for borderline (P < .05) and invasive (P < .01) tumors. MS was steeper for invasive tumors than for benign (P < .001) and borderline (P < .001) tumors. PCI was lower in invasive tumors than in borderline (P < .05) and benign (P < .05) tumors. Microvessels showed stronger immunohistochemical VEGFR-2 expression in invasive tumors than in benign or borderline tumors (P < .05). MS correlated with a lower PCI (r = -0.34, P = .04) and stronger VEGFR-2 expression by using both epithelial (r = 0.41, P < .01) and endothelial (r = 0.66, P < .001) cells.


CONCLUSIONS
The early enhancement patterns of ovarian epithelial tumors on dynamic contrast-enhanced MR images can help distinguish among benign, borderline, and invasive tumors and were found to correlate with tumoral angiogenic status.
Thomassin-Naggara
Isabelle
I
Department of Radiology, Hôpital Tenon, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, 4 rue de la Chine, 75020 Paris, France. isabelle.thomassin@tnn.aphp.fr
Bazot
Marc
M
Daraï
Emile
E
Callard
Patrice
P
Thomassin
Jeanne
J
Cuenod
Charles A
CA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008536:Meglumine; D008875:Middle Aged; D009375:Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D003287:Contrast Media; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D008536:Meglumine; C072417:gadoterate meglumine