title: Magnetic resonance imaging and pathological characteristics of pure mucinous carcinoma in the breast according to echogenicity on ultrasonography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to explore the clinical and pathological characteristics of pure mucinous breast carcinoma (PMBC) according to internal echogenicity on ultrasonography (US).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-three patients with PMBC diagnosed at surgery were included in this study. Cases of PMBC were classified according to internal echogenicity on US. The imaging features on magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and clinicohistopathological characteristics were compared between the hypoechogenic and the isoechogenic to hyperechogenic groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eleven cases of PMBC (33.3%) exhibited hypoechogenicity on US, while 22 cases (66.7%) exhibited isoechogenicity or hyperechogenicity. Of the isoechogenic to hyperechogenic PMBCs, 95.5% showed a high signal on T2-weighted images, which was a significantly greater percentage than was observed for the hypoechogenic group (54.5%) (P=0.010). Of the hypoechogenic PMBCs, 63.6% showed a washout pattern in the delayed phase, which was substantially more than the result of 23.8% observed for the isoechogenic to hyperechogenic PMBCs (P=0.053).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PMBCs with isoechogenicity or hyperechogenicity were more likely to show a high signal intensity on T2-weighted images than hypoechogenic PMBCs. However, other MR imaging and clinicohistopathological characteristics were not significantly different between the two groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiological Science, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Young Gyung
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-7276-6230
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiological Science, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Eun-Kyung
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-3368-5013
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiological Science, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Min Jung
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4949-1237
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiological Science, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jung Hyun
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2100-3513
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiological Science, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hee Jung
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5643-5885
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Moon
keywords: Adenocarcinoma, mucinous; Breast neoplasms; Magnetic resonance imaging; Ultrasonography