CORRELATION BETWEEN CONTRAST ENHANCEMENT IN DYNAMIC MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING OF THE BREAST AND TUMOR ANGIOGENESIS

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVE. The authors determined the relation between t umor angiogenesis in small invasive breast carcinoma and contrast enha ncement on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after gadolinium injection . MATERIALS AND METHODS. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed befo re surgery in a prospective study of 20 patients who had a small palpa ble lump, Spin-echo sequences after injection of gadolinium were studi ed by factor analysis of medical image sequences and were compared wit h a histologic quantification of tumor angiogenesis after immunocytoch emical staining. RESULTS. In nine cases, there was good correlation be tween the MRI and the histologic plane. In four patients, an early fac tor was found on MRI, This factor was related to a high concentration of arterioles located in the stroma or, in one patient, to the intratu mor repair process. CONCLUSION. Early enhancement correlated well with the number of vessels determined histologically.