Comparative study of the diagnostic value of ultrasonography and MRI in mucinous adenocarcinoma of breast

Abstract

Objective To investigate ultrasonographic and magnetic resonance imaging features of pure mucinous adenocarcinoma of breast, and to discuss the diagnose value. Methods Eighty-eight patients with 92 breast lesions of pure mucinous adenocarcinoma had undergone ultrasonography and MRI. The imaging features were reviewed and the diagnostic values were compared between the two imaging examinations. Results On ultrasonography, tumors were mostly showed well-defined margins (77.2%), lobulated shape (60.9%), hypoechoic (51.1%), heterogeneous texture (63.0%), posterior echo enhancement (82.6%). Color Doppler imaging showed vascularity in 75% of these lesions.On magnetic resonance imaging, most tumors showed circumscribed mass with lobulated shape. Sixty-four lesions (69.6%) showed hypointensity on T1-wighted images.Hyperintensity and strongly hyperintensity on T2-weighted images were identified in 71 cases and 21 cases, respectively. After contrast, 54 cases showed rim enhancement and the other 38 cases showed heterogeneous enhancement. There was no significant difference in diagnostic accuracy between ultrasonography and MRI (72.8% vs 77.2%, P=0.481). Combined the two imaging examinations, the diagnostic accuracy was higher than that of ultrasonography (84.8% vs 72.8%, P=0.001) and MRI (84.8% vs 77.2%, P=0.016). Conclusions Pure mucinous adenocarcinoma of breast has some typical characteristics in ultrasonography and MRI, combination of the two imaging examinations can improve the diagnostic accuracy. Key words: Ultrasonography; Breast neoplasms; Adenocarcinoma, mucinous; Magnetic resonance imaging