DYNAMIC ECHO-PLANAR IMAGING OF THE BREAST - EXPERIENCE IN DIAGNOSING BREAST-CARCINOMA AND CORRELATION WITH TUMOR ANGIOGENESIS

PURPOSE: To correlate quantitative echo-planar magnetic resonance (MR) imaging measures of gadopentetate dimeglumine tumor uptake with histo logic diagnoses and microvessel density (MVD) and to compare dynamic e cho-planar imaging of breast lesions with conventional dynamic MR imag ing techniques. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study group comprised 63 pa tients (aged 13-70 years) with 71 breast lesions who underwent convent ional and echo-planar MR imaging. The T1 values, change in gadopenteta te dimeglumine concentration, and extraction-flow products were calcul ated with the echo-planar imaging data and were correlated with histol ogic findings and MVD estimates. Extraction-now product data normalize d to pectoral muscle gadopentetate dimeglumine concentration in invasi ve cancers was also correlated with MVD. RESULTS: On average, cancer T 1 values were shorter than benign values, but there was substantial ov erlap between the two groups. Cancers had higher extraction-flow produ cts than benign lesions (P < .001). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 83%, 79%, 67%, a nd 90%, respectively. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showe d improved performance with extraction-flow products than with percent ages of signal intensity change. Among the invasive cancers, there was no significant correlation between extraction-flow product and MVD. C ONCLUSION: The T1 value remains important in more precise quantitative estimation of gadopentetate dimeglumine uptake in breast tumors, whic h helps improve the specificity of dynamic imaging. Tumor MVD affects the contrast medium enhancement of breast lesions, but other factors c ontribute.