Benign and malignant breast lesions: differentiation with echo-planar MR imaging.

Abstract

To quantify dynamic enhancement of breast lesions with echo-planar and conventional magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, to correlate these data with histologic findings and vessel density, and to evaluate Twenty female patients with 22 breast lesions underwent conventional and MR echo-planar imaging T1 values, change in gadopentetate dimeglumine concentration, and extraction-flow products were calculated with echo-planar imaging data and were correlated with histologic findings and microvessel density. T1 values of cancers were not statistically significantly shorter. Cancers had more rapid uptake and higher extraction-flow products (P < .02). Sensitivity was 86% and specificity was 93% for diagnosis of malignancy. Microvessel density was higher for malignant lesions (P < .02) with an overall positive (not statistically significant) correlation between extraction-flow product and microvessel density. Echo-planar imaging appears promising for quantification of breast lesion enhancement. Microvessel data indicate that tumor angiogenesis affects enhancement.