MRI OF THE BREAST IN THE DIFFERENTIAL-DIAGNOSIS OF MASTITIS VERSUS INFLAMMATORY CARCINOMA AND FOLLOW-UP

Purpose: Our goal was to evaluate the potential of dynamic MRI in diff erentiating mastitis and inflammatory breast carcinoma, Furthermore, w e evaluated the potential of breast MRI to follow up mastitis patients under antibiotic treatment. Method: Twenty-one cases of dynamic breas t MR (11 mastitis, 10 inflammatory; carcinomas) were reviewed. All pat ients had a history consistent with either mastitis or inflammatory br east carcinoma, The final diagnosis was histologically confirmed. Resu lts: Ninety percent of the inflammatory carcinomas were found to enhan ce >100% in the first minute compared with 55% for mastitis, There is net significant difference between mastitis and inflammatory carcinoma . Conclusion: While breast MR cannot currently be used definitively to distinguish inflammatory carcinoma from mastitis, the differences in dynamic enhancement may prove to be useful in follow-up of presumed ma stitis in problematic cases. If after biopsy the diagnosis remains unc lear, breast MR may help to (a) demonstrate the success of the antibio tic treatment and (b) diagnose coexisting or confounding inflammatory carcinoma.