BREAST-LESIONS - CORRELATION OF CONTRAST-MEDIUM ENHANCEMENT PATTERNS ON MR-IMAGES WITH HISTOPATHOLOGIC FINDINGS AND TUMOR ANGIOGENESIS

PURPOSE: To compare qualitative and quantitative magnetic resonance (M R) mammographic features of breast lesions with histopathologic findin gs, especially tumor angiogenesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-thre e patients (72 women, one man; aged 30-78 years; mean age, 51.0 years) with suspicious breast lesions underwent MR imaging. Noncontrast medi um-enhanced localization imaging and then gadolinium-enhanced dynamic fast spoiled gradient-recalled-echo (SPGR) imaging were performed in a ll patients. In selected patients, subtraction fast SPGR images were o btained. The Pearson and Spearman correlation tests were used to deter mine the strength of the relationships between enhancement parameters and microvessel determinations. RESULTS: Time intensity curve type cor related with microvessel density grade (Spearman rank correlation test : r = .90, P < .001). The steepest slope of contrast medium uptake cor related with microvessel counts (Pearson correlation test; r = .83, P < .001). Peripheral enhancement in invasive carcinomas (n = 9) correla ted with high peripheral and low central microvessel densities, which were associated with desmoplasia and/or necrosis. Internal septations (n = 2) were seen only in fibroadenomas. CONCLUSION: The density and d istribution of microvessels may play major roles in the determination of the initial rate of contrast medium uptake and the heterogeneity of tumor enhancement.