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Diffusion‐weighted breast MRI: Clinical applications and emerging techniques
Author(s) -
Partridge Savannah C.,
Nissan Noam,
Rahbar Habib,
Kitsch Averi E.,
Sigmund Eric E.
Publication year - 2017
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.25479
Subject(s) - diffusion mri , breast cancer , breast mri , medicine , intravoxel incoherent motion , magnetic resonance imaging , breast imaging , radiology , computer science , medical physics , mammography , cancer
Diffusion‐weighted MRI (DWI) holds potential to improve the detection and biological characterization of breast cancer. DWI is increasingly being incorporated into breast MRI protocols to address some of the shortcomings of routine clinical breast MRI. Potential benefits include improved differentiation of benign and malignant breast lesions, assessment and prediction of therapeutic efficacy, and noncontrast detection of breast cancer. The breast presents a unique imaging environment with significant physiologic and inter‐subject variations, as well as specific challenges to achieving reliable high quality diffusion‐weighted MR images. Technical innovations are helping to overcome many of the image quality issues that have limited widespread use of DWI for breast imaging. Advanced modeling approaches to further characterize tissue perfusion, complexity, and glandular organization may expand knowledge and yield improved diagnostic tools. Level of Evidence: 5 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2016 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2017;45:337–355.