Histopathologic features of rim enhancement MRI for breast infiltrating ductal carcinoma / 第二军医大学学报

ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate the histopathologic features of rim enhancement MRI of breast infiltrating ductal carcinoma (IDC). Methods: Routine and dynamic contrast enhanced MRI was used to examine 65 patients with breast lumps. Thirty of the 65 patients who were pathologically confirmed to have breast IDC were included in the present study. The manifestations of dynamic contrast enhanced MRI and the histopathologic parameters of the masses (the size of cancer nest, stroma type, microvessel density and degree of fibrosis) were observed. And the relationship of MR findings with the above-mentioned histopathologic features was analyzed. Results: Peripheral rim enhancement was obvious in IDC and a type-III (washout) time/signal intensity course was the dominant type (17/30,56.7%). The average enhancement rate during the first post-contrast minute(ΔSI1 %) was higher than 75% in IDC. The 30 IDCs fell into small (13,43%), medium(12,40%), and large (5,17%) groups according to the size of cancer nest; and into delicate(5,17%), narrow(16,53%), and broad(9,30%) groups according to the cancer stroma type. Early rim enhancement was associated with a small cancer nest (P<0.05), a high ratio of peripheral-to-central microvessel density, and a low ratio of peripheral-to-central fibrosis (P<0.01). Delayed rim enhancement was significantly associated with narrow stroma (P<0.05). Conclusion: Rim enhancement and washout sign on contrast-enhanced MR imaging of the breast IDC are associated not only with angiogenesis, but also with various histological features of the cancinoma, including the size of cancer nests, width of stroma, and degree of fibrosis.