Breast MRI – The champion in the millimeter league: MIO breast MRI – The method of choice in women with dense breasts

Abstract

We perform MRI of the breast as a first pass technique. We successfully established 10-minute-protocols (including T2 images) with a fixed dosage of 5 ml 1 M CM. A high spatial resolution of 526 × 526, better 672 × 672 or maximum (1.024 × 1.024, MIO MRI) is vital to achieve best results. We use fixation tools to avoid motion artifacts. Motion correction algorithms can, however, often eliminate such artifacts when they are present. In initial breast MRI exams, morphologic features are the most important criteria for lesion evaluation. If previous exams are available for comparison, the main criteria indicating a suspicious lesion are an increase in lesion size or the depiction of new lesions.High quality HR MRI of the breast is the method of choice in women with dense or extremely dense breasts in all cases (screening, assessment, follow up). In density type A or B, MRI can be helpful in defined constellations, e.g. when MX and US are limited or contraindicated.According to our experience, 95% or more of all carcinomas of the breast are detectable on MRI. The remaining 5% of MRI-occult lesions are intraductal tumors or very small invasive carcinomas depicted with mammography due to associated microcalcifications. MRI is, however, superior to all other imaging modalities in the detection of the clinically relevant DCIS (high risk DCIS, intermediate type).Consecutive MRI examinations in intervals of 12 to 24 months allow a reliable detection of invasive breast cancer with an average size of 7–8 mm. This corresponds to a rate of metastasis-free locoregional lymph nodes in >95% of cases. The rate of interval cancers is <2%. In conclusion, this strategy may increase the overall-lifetime survival of breast cancer patients to more than 95%. Inversely, mortality may be reduced to <5%.Taking these improvements in early breast cancer detection and survival that can be achieved through the implementation of QA HR MRI of the breast into account, it should be discussed to modify oncologic guidelines for the treatment of breast cancer.MRI is the best diagnostic tool we have and according to our experience, a first pass, quality-assured high-resolution breast MRI protocol provides best diagnostic results at minimal procedural effort.