External validation of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging-based decision rules for characterizing breast lesions and comparison to Kaiser score and breast imaging reporting and data system (BI-RADS) category.

Background: Breast imaging reporting and data system (BI-RADS) provides standard descriptors but not detailed decision rules for characterizing breast lesions. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) are also not incorporated in the BI-RADS. Several multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI)-based decision rules have been developed to differentiate breast lesions, but lack external validation. This study aims to externally validate several mpMRI-based decision rules for characterizing breast lesions and compare them with Kaiser score and BI-RADS category.

Methods: There were 206 patients with 218 pathology-proven breast lesions (99 malignancies) included in this retrospective study from January 2018 to May 2018. Two radiologists blinded to pathology evaluated breast lesions according to the three mpMRI-based decision rules (Kim, Istomin, Zhong) and Kaiser score. BI-RADS category was extracted from radiology reports and also analysed. The diagnostic performances of the four decision rules and BI-RADS category were calculated and compared for different lesion types [mass and non-mass enhancement (NME)] and size (≤10 and >10 mm). The unnecessary biopsy rates for BI-RADS 4 lesions were calculated by the four decision rules.

Results: The three mpMRI-based decision rules showed area under the curve (AUC) of 0.81-0.87 for all lesions, 0.86-0.92 for mass lesions, 0.68-0.82 for NME, and 0.68-0.87 for lesion size ≤10 mm, 0.82-0.87 for lesion size >10 mm. Kaiser score showed the highest diagnostic performance for all subgroups except for lesion size ≤10 mm. No significant differences were found in AUC between Kaiser score and BI-RADS category. The mpMRI-based decision rules showed high sensitivity of 100% in all subgroups at the expense of low specificity (range, 2.9-41.2%). In contrast, Kaiser score demonstrated a significantly higher specificity of 73.5-92.9% than the three mpMRI-based decision rules at the cost of a decreased sensitivity (range, 60.0-93.6%) in different subgroups. The unnecessary biopsy rates for BI-RADS 4 lesions were 9.8% (Istomin), 12.2% (Zhong), 14.6% (Kim) and 70.7% (Kaiser score), respectively.

Conclusions: The mpMRI-based decision rules showed high sensitivity but low specificity for characterizing breast lesions, and their diagnostic efficiencies were inferior to Kaiser score and BI-RADS category.