title: Should breast MRI be performed with adjustment for the phase in patients' menstrual cycle? Correlation between mammographic density, age, and background enhancement on breast MRI without adjusting for the phase in patients' menstrual cycle.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to assess the correlation between mammographic density, age, and background enhancement on breast MRI without adjusting for the phase in patients' menstrual cycle.
  
  
  METHODS
  The background enhancement of bilateral breast MRI and the breast density of mammography in 146 consecutive women without adjusting for the phase in patients' menstrual cycle were reviewed. The breast density was classified into four categories according to the American College of Radiology the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System lexicon. The background enhancement was classified into four categories: minimal, mild, moderate, and marked. The correlations of mammographic breast density as well as age with background enhancement on breast MRI were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant correlation between mammographic breast density and background enhancement (p = 0.011). All nine cases with almost completely fat mammographic breast density showed minimal (78%) or mild (12%) background enhancement on breast MRI. There was a significant inverse correlation between age and background enhancement (p < 0.0001). Younger patients with dense breasts were more likely to demonstrate moderate/marked background enhancement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When no adjusting for the phase in patients' menstrual cycle, a significant correlation was observed between background enhancement and mammographic density. A significant inverse correlation was also observed between age and background enhancement.
authors: Breast Imaging and Breast Intervention Section, Shizuoka Cancer Center Hospital, Naga-izumi, Shizuoka 411-8777, Japan. t.uematsu@scchr.jp
authors: Takayoshi
authors: T
authors: Uematsu
authors: Masako
authors: M
authors: Kasami
authors: Junichiro
authors: J
authors: Watanabe