Application of the ultrafast sequence in the dynamic contrastographic study in the magnetic resonance imaging of the breast: our experience

Abstract

In the last decade, breast MRI has played a role of primary importance, as a “gold standard” method in the earlydiagnosis of breast cancer in high-risk women, in assessing the extent of the disease and the response to neoadjuvantchemotherapy. Currently, the 3D GRE Rapid-Acquisition sequence in dynamic acquisition without and with endovenous administration of contrast medium, is fundamental for the breast MRI protocol, as the current diagnosticapproaches in Magnetic Resonance are based precisely on this sequence, able to guarantee accurate diagnosticperformances detecting pathological mass and non-mass-enhancement. Ultrafast sequences are modern sequencesbased on the 4D Time-Resolved technique with k-space sampling modalities which allow the evaluation of post-contrast images with very high temporal resolution. The purpose of our work is to illustrate in particular the use of the4D-THRIVE sequence implemented in our breast MRI study protocol.