Radiological features of mastitis / 中华放射学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To describe the radiological features of mastitis.Methods Imaging findings were retrospectively reviewed in 58 women with mastitis,which was confirmed by pathological results.The imaging features were described according to the BI-RADS (breast imaging reporting and data system).All 58 patients had preoperative MRI,while 49 of them were examined with sonograms and 30 with mammograms preoperatively.Results Overall,no remarkable findings were reported on 6 mammography and 2 sonography examinations,but all 58 lesions were identified on MRI in our study.Asymmetrical density (n =16,53.3％) on mammograms and solitary or multiple separated/contiguous hypoechoic mass-like lesions (n =34,69.4％) on ultrasound were the most common signs of mastitis.On enhanced MR images,82.8 ％ (48/58) patients showed non-mass-like enhanced lesions.Multiple,regional enhancement (66.7％,32/48) and separated or contiguous,clumped,rim-like enhancement (63.1％,31/48) were the most common manifestations in non-mass-like enhanced lesions.Of the 58 patients,type Ⅰ and type Ⅱ timesignal intensity curve were detected in 48.3％ and 50.0％ of the patients,respectively.BI-RADS 0 had the highest frequency in reports on mammography (33.3％,10/30),while category 4a was most frequent on sonography (36.7％,18/49) and also on MRI (56.9％,33/58).Conclusion The imaging findings from mammography and US are non-specific for mastitis,therefore,MR can be helpful in the diagnosis,especially in the presence of non-mass-like enhancement that are multiple,regional,separated,or contiguous,clumped,and tim-like.