Discrimination between benign and malignant breast lesions using volumetric quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging.

Objective: To determine the diagnostic performance of volumetric quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (qDCE-MRI) in differentiation between malignant and benign breast lesions.

Methods: DCE-MRI was performed in 124 patients with 136 breast lesions. Quantitative pharmacokinetic parameters K, K, V, V and semi-quantitative parameters TTP, MaxCon, MaxSlope, AUC were obtained by using a two-compartment extended Tofts model and three-dimensional volume of interest. Morphologic features (lesion size, margin, internal enhancement pattern) and time-signal intensity curve (TIC) type were also assessed. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine predictors of malignancy, followed by receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis to evaluate the diagnostic performance.

Results: qDCE parameters (K, K, V, TTP, MaxCon, MaxSlope and AUC), morphological parameters and TIC type were significantly different between malignant and benign lesions (P≤0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that K, K, MaxSlope, size, margin and TIC type were independent predictors of malignancy. The diagnostic accuracy of logistic models based on qDCE parameters alone, morphological features plus TIC type, and all parameters combined was 94.9%, 89.0%, and 95.6% respectively.

Conclusion: qDCE-MRI can be used to improve diagnostic differentiation between benign and malignant breast lesions in relation to morphology and kinetic analysis.

Key Points: • qDCE-MRI parameters are useful for discriminating between malignant and benign breast lesions. • K , K and MaxSlope were independent predictors of breast malignancy. • qDCE-MRI has a better diagnostic ability than morphology and kinetic analysis. • qDCE-MRI can be used to improve the diagnostic accuracy of breast malignancy.