BENIGN AND MALIGNANT BREAST-LESIONS - DIFFERENTIATION WITH ECHO-PLANAR MR-IMAGING

PURPOSE: To quantify dynamic enhancement of breast lesions with echo-p lanar and conventional magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, to correlate t hese data with histologic findings and vessel density, and to evaluate the effect of T1 values on enhancement data. MATERIALS AND METHODS: T wenty female patients with 22 breast lesions underwent conventional an d echo-planar MR imaging. T1 values, change in gadopentetate dimeglumi ne concentration, and extraction-flow products were calculated with ec ho-planar imaging data and were correlated with histologic findings an d microvessel density. RESULTS: T1 values of cancers were not statisti cally significantly shorter. Cancers had more rapid uptake and higher extraction-flow products (P < .02). Sensitivity was 86% and specificit y was 93% for diagnosis of malignancy. Microvessel density was higher far malignant lesions (P < .02) with an overall positive (not statisti cally significant) correlation between extraction-flow product and mic rovessel density. CONCLUSION Echo-planar imaging appears promising for quantification of breast lesion enhancement. Microvessel data indicat e that tumor angiogenesis affects enhancement.