Axillary Lymph Nodes T2 Signal Intensity Characterization in MRI of Patients With Mucinous Breast Cancer: A Pilot Study.

Objective: To evaluate the T2 signal intensity (SI) of axillary lymph nodes as a potential functional imaging marker for metastasis in patients with mucinous breast cancer.

Methods: A retrospective review of breast MRIs performed from April 2008 to March 2024 was conducted to identify patients with mucinous breast cancer and adenopathy. Two independent, masked readers qualitatively assessed the T2 SI of tumors and lymph nodes.

Extremely dense breasts: A comprehensive review of increased cancer risk and supplementary screening methods.

Women with extremely dense breasts account for approximately 10% of the screening population and face an increased lifetime risk of developing breast cancer. At the same time, the sensitivity of mammography, the first-line screening modality, is significantly reduced in this breast density group, owing to the masking effect of the abundant fibroglandular tissue. Consequently, this population has garnered increasing scientific attention due to the unique diagnostic challenge they present.

Performance of breast MRI for high-risk screening during lactation.

Objectives: To assess the diagnostic performance of breast MRI during lactation in the setting of high-risk breast cancer screening.

Materials And Methods: Screening breast MRIs performed between April 2008 and March 2024 were retrospectively reviewed. Background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) grade was compared between lactating patients and patients who recently stopped lactating using the Mann-Whitney test.

Development of an MRI Radiomic Machine-Learning Model to Predict Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Based on Fibroglandular Tissue of the Contralateral Unaffected Breast in Breast Cancer Patients.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to develop a radiomic-based machine-learning model to predict triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) based on the contralateral unaffected breast's fibroglandular tissue (FGT) in breast cancer patients.

Materials And Methods: This study retrospectively included 541 patients (mean age, 51 years; range, 26-82) who underwent a screening breast MRI between November 2016 and September 2018 and who were subsequently diagnosed with biopsy-confirmed, treatment-naïve breast cancer. Patients were divided into training ( = 250) and validation ( = 291) sets.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Screening Contrast-enhanced Mammography for Women with Extremely Dense Breasts at Increased Risk of Breast Cancer.

Background Mammogram interpretation is challenging in female patients with extremely dense breasts (Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System [BI-RADS] category D), who have a higher breast cancer risk. Contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) has recently emerged as a potential alternative; however, data regarding CEM utility in this subpopulation are limited. Purpose To evaluate the diagnostic performance of CEM for breast cancer screening in female patients with extremely dense breasts.

Asymmetric background parenchymal enhancement on contrast-enhanced mammography: associated factors, diagnostic workup, and clinical outcome.

Objectives: To summarize our institutional experience with contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) exams reporting asymmetric background parenchymal enhancement (BPE).

Materials And Methods: Consecutive CEMs performed between December 2012 and July 2023 were retrospectively reviewed to identify exams reporting asymmetric BPE. Associated factors, the level of reporting certainty, BI-RADS score, diagnostic workup, and clinical outcome were summarized.

Complete Freund's Adjuvant Induces a Fibroblast-like Synoviocytes (FLS) Metabolic and Migratory Phenotype in Resident Fibroblasts of the Inoculated Footpad at the Earliest Stage of Adjuvant-Induced Arthritis.

The fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) have a crucial role in the pathogenesis of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA); however, its precise mechanisms remain partially unknown. The involvement of the fibroblast in activating adjuvant-induced arthritis (AA) has not been previously reported. The objective was to describe the participation of footpads' fibroblasts in the critical initial process that drives the AA onset.

Pharmacokinetic Analysis of Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging at 7T for Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Characterization.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether ultra-high-field dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) of the breast at 7T using quantitative pharmacokinetic (PK) analysis can differentiate between benign and malignant breast tumors for improved breast cancer diagnosis and to predict molecular subtypes, histologic grade, and proliferation rate in breast cancer. In this prospective study, 37 patients with 43 lesions suspicious on mammography or ultrasound underwent bilateral DCE-MRI of the breast at 7T. PK parameters (K, k, V) were evaluated with two region of interest (ROI) approaches (2D whole-tumor ROI or 2D 10 mm standardized ROI) manually drawn by two readers (senior reader, R1, and R2) independently.

Histogram Analysis and Visual Heterogeneity of Diffusion-Weighted Imaging with Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Mapping in the Prediction of Molecular Subtypes of Invasive Breast Cancers.

Objective: To investigate if histogram analysis and visually assessed heterogeneity of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) with apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) mapping can predict molecular subtypes of invasive breast cancers.

Materials And Methods: In this retrospective study, 91 patients with invasive breast carcinoma who underwent preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with DWI at our institution were included. Two radiologists delineated a 2-D region of interest (ROI) on ADC maps in consensus.

Radiomic signatures with contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging for the assessment of breast cancer receptor status and molecular subtypes: initial results.

Background: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of radiomic signatures extracted from contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CE-MRI) for the assessment of breast cancer receptor status and molecular subtypes.

Methods: One hundred and forty-three patients with biopsy-proven breast cancer who underwent CE-MRI at 3 T were included in this IRB-approved HIPAA-compliant retrospective study. The training dataset comprised 91 patients (luminal A, n = 49; luminal B, n = 8; HER2-enriched, n = 11; triple negative, n = 23), while the validation dataset comprised 52 patients from a second institution (luminal A, n = 17; luminal B, n = 17; triple negative, n = 18).

Radiomic Signatures Derived from Diffusion-Weighted Imaging for the Assessment of Breast Cancer Receptor Status and Molecular Subtypes.

Purpose: To compare annotation segmentation approaches and to assess the value of radiomics analysis applied to diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) for evaluation of breast cancer receptor status and molecular subtyping.

Procedures: In this IRB-approved HIPAA-compliant retrospective study, 91 patients with treatment-naïve breast malignancies proven by image-guided breast biopsy, (luminal A, n = 49; luminal B, n = 8; human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 [HER2]-enriched, n = 11; triple negative [TN], n = 23) underwent multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the breast at 3 T with dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI, T2-weighted and DW imaging. Lesions were manually segmented on high b-value DW images and segmentation ROIS were propagated to apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps.

A multiparametric [F]FDG PET/MRI diagnostic model including imaging biomarkers of the tumor and contralateral healthy breast tissue aids breast cancer diagnosis.

Purpose: To develop a multiparametric [F]FDG positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) model for breast cancer diagnosis incorporating imaging biomarkers of breast tumors and contralateral healthy breast tissue.

Methods: In this prospective study and retrospective data analysis, 141 patients (mean 57 years) with an imaging abnormality detected on mammography and/or ultrasound (BI-RADS 4/5) underwent combined multiparametric [F]FDG PET/MRI with PET/computed tomography and multiparametric MRI of the breast at 3 T. Images were evaluated and the following were recorded: for the tumor, BI-RADS descriptors on dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI, mean apparent diffusion co-efficient (ADCmean) on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax) on [F]FDG-PET; and for the contralateral healthy breast, background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) and amount of fibroglandular tissue (FGT) on DCE-MRI, ADCmean on DWI, and SUVmax.

MRI evaluation of axillary and intramammary lymph nodes in the postoperative period.

Our study aimed to evaluate if breast-conserving surgery and adjuvant treatment could affect the morphological features of axillary and intramammary lymph nodes on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with invasive breast cancer and clinically negative axilla. In this single-center study, we retrospectively evaluated 50 patients who had (a) breast-conserving surgery, (b) clinically negative axilla, (c) preoperative MRI within 3 months before surgery, and (d) postoperative MRI within 12 months after surgery. Axillary and intramammary lymph nodes on postoperative MRI were identified and then compared with preoperative MRI by two breast radiologists with regards to the following: enlargement, cortical thickening, presence of fatty hilum, irregularity, heterogeneity, matting, and axillary lymph node asymmetry.

Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) with apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) mapping as a quantitative imaging biomarker for prediction of immunohistochemical receptor status, proliferation rate, and molecular subtypes of breast cancer.

Background: Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) with apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) mapping is one of the most useful additional MRI parameters to improve diagnostic accuracy and is now often used in a multiparameric imaging setting for breast tumor detection and characterization.

Purpose: To evaluate whether different ADC metrics can also be used for prediction of receptor status, proliferation rate, and molecular subtype in invasive breast cancer.

Study Type: Retrospective.

Multiparametric MRI model with dynamic contrast-enhanced and diffusion-weighted imaging enables breast cancer diagnosis with high accuracy.

Background: The MRI Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) lexicon recommends that a breast MRI protocol contain T -weighted and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI sequences. The addition of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) significantly improves diagnostic accuracy. This study aims to clarify which descriptors from DCE-MRI, DWI, and T -weighted imaging are most strongly associated with a breast cancer diagnosis.

Imaging and the completion of the omics paradigm in breast cancer.

Within the field of oncology, "omics" strategies-genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics-have many potential applications and may significantly improve our understanding of the underlying processes of cancer development and progression. Omics strategies aim to develop meaningful imaging biomarkers for breast cancer (BC) by rapid assessment of large datasets with different biological information. In BC the paradigm of omics technologies has always favored the integration of multiple layers of omics data to achieve a complete portrait of BC.

Clinical role of breast MRI now and going forward.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a well-established method in breast imaging, with manifold clinical applications, including the non-invasive differentiation between benign and malignant breast lesions, preoperative staging, detection of scar versus recurrence, implant assessment, and the evaluation of high-risk patients. At present, dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI is the most sensitive imaging technique for breast cancer diagnosis, and provides excellent morphological and to some extent also functional information. To compensate for the limited functional information, and to increase the specificity of MRI while preserving its sensitivity, additional functional parameters such as diffusion-weighted imaging and apparent diffusion coefficient mapping, and MR spectroscopic imaging have been investigated and implemented into the clinical routine.

OARSI Clinical Trials Recommendations: Hand imaging in clinical trials in osteoarthritis.

Tremendous advances have occurred in our understanding of the pathogenesis of hand osteoarthritis (OA) and these are beginning to be applied to trials targeted at modification of the disease course. The purpose of this expert opinion, consensus driven exercise is to provide detail on how one might use and apply hand imaging assessments in disease modifying clinical trials. It includes information on acquisition methods/techniques (including guidance on positioning for radiography, sequence/protocol recommendations/hardware for MRI); commonly encountered problems (including positioning, hardware and coil failures, sequences artifacts); quality assurance/control procedures; measurement methods; measurement performance (reliability, responsiveness, validity); recommendations for trials; and research recommendations.

OARSI Clinical Trials Recommendations: Knee imaging in clinical trials in osteoarthritis.

Significant advances have occurred in our understanding of the pathogenesis of knee osteoarthritis (OA) and some recent trials have demonstrated the potential for modification of the disease course. The purpose of this expert opinion, consensus driven exercise is to provide detail on how one might use and apply knee imaging in knee OA trials. It includes information on acquisition methods/techniques (including guidance on positioning for radiography, sequence/protocol recommendations/hardware for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)); commonly encountered problems (including positioning, hardware and coil failures, sequences artifacts); quality assurance (QA)/control procedures; measurement methods; measurement performance (reliability, responsiveness, validity); recommendations for trials; and research recommendations.

Treatment of multicentric reticulohistiocytosis with tocilizumab.

Multicentric reticulohistiocytosis (MRH) is a rare multisystem, granulomatous debilitating disease. It affects the skin with a nodular diffuse dermatitis and the joints with a severe, potentially deforming, and handicapping arthritis. No standardized therapy exists, it is a disease with heterogeneous severity, and therefore, a diversity of therapeutic responses has been published.