Detection of incidental vertebral fractures in breast imaging: the potential role of MR localisers.
OBJECTIVE
Incidental diagnosis of vertebral fractures (VFs) may represent a key point in the assessment of bone health status. Our purpose was to retrospectively evaluate localisation sequences (MR-loc) of breast MRI as a potential tool to detect osteoporotic VFs.


METHODS
MR-loc sagittal images of 856 breast MRIs were reviewed by three expert musculoskeletal radiologists with a semiquantitative approach to detecting VFs. Anamnesis and data of patients were investigated. Official breast MRI and previous imaging reports were checked to understand if VFs or other relevant bone findings were known in patients' clinical history.


RESULTS
A total of 780/856 female patients (91.1 %) undergoing MRI for oncological reasons and 76/856 (8.9 %) with non-oncological aims were recruited into the study (54.7 ± 12.2 years old, 21-89 years); 57/856 MR-loc images (6.7 %) were considered inadequate for diagnostic purposes and were excluded from the analysis. MR-loc detected VFs in 71/799 patients (8.9 %). VFs were neither reported nor previously known in the clinical history of 63/71 patients (88.7 %; P < 0.001). No mention of VFs was found in any breast MR reports. In four patients MR-loc identified vertebral metastases.


CONCLUSIONS
A systematic evaluation of MR-loc may offer additional clinical information to prevent unrecognised VFs. MR-loc may screen for VFs in other imaging settings.


CONCLUSIONS
Vertebral fractures are usually a hallmark of osteoporosis. Localisation sequences before breast MR examinations can identify vertebral fractures. MR localisers should be inspected for vertebral fractures in other clinical settings.
Imaging Division, Clinical Department of Radiological and Histocytopathological Sciences, Sant'Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Via Massarenti 9, 40138, Bologna, Italy. abazzo@inwind.it
Alberto
A
Bazzocchi
Paolo
P
Spinnato
Giorgio
G
Garzillo
Federica
F
Ciccarese
Ugo
U
Albisinni
Stefano
S
Mignani
Giuseppe
G
Battista
Cristina
C
Rossi
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D058866:Osteoporotic Fractures / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D003287:Contrast Media