BREAST NEOPLASMS - T2-ASTERISK SUSCEPTIBILITY-CONTRAST, FIRST-PASS PERFUSION MR-IMAGING

PURPOSE: To evaluate the differentiation of benign from malignant brea st tumors with T2-weighted perfusion magnetic resonance (MR) imaging (blood volume imaging) versus that with dynamic T1-weighted contrast a gent-enhanced MR imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten healthy adult vol unteers and 18 adult patients with benign or malignant lesions underwe nt both conventional T1-weighted dynamic contrast-enhanced breast MR i maging and repetitive first-pass, single-section, dynamic T2-weighted perfusion MR imaging. Images were obtained before, during, and after injection of 20 mt of gadopentetate dimeglumine; peak gadopentetate di meglumine concentrations were calculated from the maximal signal inten sity loss on T2-weighted images. RESULTS: No perfusion effect was det ectable in healthy breast parenchyma. A strong susceptibility-mediated signal intensity loss occurred in malignant breast tumors. No or only minor perfusion effects were seen in fibroadenomas, in spite of their rapid enhancement at T1-weighted dynamic imaging. Perfusion imaging w as possible after conventional dynamic contrast-enhanced breast MR ima ging. CONCLUSION T2-weighted perfusion imaging exploits the susceptib ility-mediated signal intensity loss of a first-pass bolus of gadopent etate dimeglumine within the capillary bed. First-pass perfusion imagi ng of breast lesions is feasible. It is promising in the differentiati on of benign from malignant, rapidly enhancing lesions.