DUCTAL CARCINOMA IN-SITU - MR-IMAGING HISTOPATHOLOGIC CORRELATION

PURPOSE: To correlate histopathologic and magnetic resonance (MR) imag ing findings of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). MATERIALS AND METHODS : Thirty-six women with DCIS underwent preoperative contrast material- enhanced subtraction dynamic MR imaging. Concomitant early contrast en hancement in the breast parenchyma with normal vessels was considered a positive finding. The size and shape of early enhancement were corre lated with the size and density packing of ducts involved by DCIS. Tum or angiogenesis in the stroma that surrounded the ducts was evaluated with immunoperoxidase staining. RESULTS: Early contrast enhancement wa s demonstrated in 34 patients with DCIS but not in two patients with c omedo-type DCIS. Tumor angiogenesis was demonstrated in the stroma. Th e size and morphology of contrast-enhanced lesions significantly corre lated with the size (P = .0085) and density packing of ducts involved by DCIS (P = .012). CONCLUSION: Contrast enhancement on dynamic MR ima ges of DCIS may be due to the presence of tumor angiogenesis in the st roma.