title: Imaging features and conspicuity of invasive lobular carcinomas on digital breast tomosynthesis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the imaging features of invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) seen on digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) in comparison with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), and to evaluate whether DBT could improve conspicuity and tumour size assessment of ILC in comparison with digital mammography (DM).
  
  
  METHODS
  Institutional review board with waiver of informed consent was obtained for this retrospective study. Patients with ILC or IDC who underwent DBT and DM at the time of diagnosis were included. DM and DBT images were reviewed in consensus by two breast radiologists in order to assess imaging features, conspicuity and maximum tumour diameter of ILC and IDC. Pathology on the surgical specimen was considered the standard of reference for assessment of tumour size.
  
  
  RESULTS
  43 patients (20 patients with ILC and 23 patients with IDC) were included. On DBT, compared with IDC, ILC presented less frequently as masses (40% vs 78%) (p = 0.01) and more frequently as isolated distortion (20% vs 0%) (p = 0.03). ILC presented more often as asymmetries (60%) than masses (20%) on DM (p = 0.02) but not on DBT (35% vs 40%; p = 1.00). Conspicuity of ILC was significantly higher on DBT than on DM (p = 0.002), while the difference between the two techniques was not significant for IDC (p = 0.2). Regarding ILC, concordance in tumour size measurement between DBT and pathology was fair (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.24).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ILC rarely presented as dense masses but frequently demonstrated architectural distortion on DBT. DBT increased lesion conspicuity but failed to accurately assess tumour size of ILC. Advances in knowledge: (1) This study describes specific features of ILC on DBT. (2) It shows that DBT can improve conspicuity of ILC.
authors.affiliation: 1 Radiology Department, McGill University Health Center, Montréal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Foucauld
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chamming's
authors.affiliation: 1 Radiology Department, McGill University Health Center, Montréal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.affiliation: 1 Radiology Department, McGill University Health Center, Montréal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aldis
authors.affiliation: 1 Radiology Department, McGill University Health Center, Montréal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Romuald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ferré
authors.affiliation: 2 Pathology Department, McGill University Health Center, Montréal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Atilla
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Omeroglu
authors.affiliation: 1 Radiology Department, McGill University Health Center, Montréal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reinhold
authors.affiliation: 1 Radiology Department, McGill University Health Center, Montréal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Benoit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mesurolle
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D018275:Carcinoma, Lobular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D012189:Retrospective Studies