The value of MRI in evaluation of metastatic axillary lymph nodes in breast carcinoma / 实用放射学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the value of MRI in evaluation of metastatic axillary lymph nodes in patients with breast carcinoma. Methods 60 patients with breast carcinoma underwent MRI before surgical management.Tumor maximal diameter,tumor SERmax (Maximal Signal Enhancement Ratio),the size,shape,border,signal intensity and enhancement pattern of ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes were recorded respectively.The results of MRI observation were compared with the histopathological results.Results Among the 60 patients,MRI showed that 28 cases had metastatic axillary lymph nodes,and 22 of them were confirmed by pathology.Its sensitivity,specificity and accuracy were 90.91%,78.95%,83.33% in the diagnosis of lymph nodes metastasis.Meanwhile,57 cases were underwent ultrasound examination,its sensitivity,specificity and accuracy were 59.09%,94.29%,80.70%.The sizes of lymph nodes in the patients with metastatic lymph nodes and the patients with no metastatic lymph nodes were(1.20±0.59)cm, (0.85±0.24)cm respectively.There was statistically significant difference between the two groups(t=3.258,P=0.001<0.05). There was statistically significant difference between the above two groups in the tumor maximum of SER(t=4.167,P=0.000<0.05),SERmax in metastatic lymph nodes were higher than in no metastatic ones.Irregular shape and border,inhomogeneous signal intensity and heterogeneous enhancement patterns were suggestive of metastatic lymph nodes.Conclusion MRI is an effective imaging modality in evaluation of axillary lymph nodes status in patients with breast carcinoma comprehensively before operation.