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Breast carcinomas with strong high‐signal intensity on T2‐weighted MR images: Pathological characteristics and differential diagnosis
Author(s) -
Yuen Sachiko,
Uematsu Takayoshi,
Kasami Masako,
Tanaka Kumiko,
Kimura Kiyomi,
Sanuki Junichi,
Uchida Yoshihiro,
Furukawa Hiroyoshi
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of magnetic resonance imaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.563
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1522-2586
pISSN - 1053-1807
DOI - 10.1002/jmri.20845
Subject(s) - medicine , stroma , differential diagnosis , breast cancer , breast fibroadenoma , fibroadenoma , pathology , pathological , carcinoma , radiology , cancer , immunohistochemistry
Purpose To investigate the histopathological characteristics of breast carcinomas with strong high‐signal intensity (SHi) on T2‐weighted (T2W) MR images (T2‐SHi), and discuss the differential diagnosis between T2‐SHi breast carcinomas and T2‐SHi fibroadenomas. Materials and Methods Thirty of 480 breast carcinomas examined by MRI were defined as tumors with T2‐SHi (defined as homogeneous higher signal intensity (SI) compared to surrounding normal breast tissue on fat‐suppressed T2W imaging (T2WI). They included eight mucinous and 22 nonmucinous carcinomas. The histopathological characteristics of T2‐SHi breast carcinomas, their signal‐to‐noise ratios (SNRs) on T2WI, contrast‐enhancement patterns, and morphology were compared with those of 22 non‐T2‐SHi breast carcinomas and 19 T2‐SHi fibroadenomas. Results In nonmucinous carcinomas T2‐SHi was attributable to a mixture of background matrix, a higher proportion of cells than stroma, abundant cytoplasm, edematous stroma, and hemorrhage. The significantly high SNR (mean = 75) and enhancing internal septations seen in mucinous carcinomas, and the washout phenomenon, irregular border, absence of internal septation, and rim enhancement seen in nonmucinous carcinomas provide useful information for differentiating these tumors from T2‐SHi fibroadenomas. Conclusion A mixture of several histopathological characteristics was associated with T2‐SHi breast carcinomas. The combined information from T2WI and contrast‐enhanced (CE) imaging may help distinguish T2‐SHi breast carcinomas from T2‐SHi fibroadenomas. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2007;25:502–510. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.