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In vivo clinical evaluations of human mammary tissue, including normal, dysplastic, and neoplastic breasts, were initiated using the FONAR method of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging. Spin-lattice relaxation times (T1) were determined and correlated with other diagnostic modalities including mammography, xeroradiography, and sonography. Normal breasts and breasts with extensive fatty replacement were found to have the lowest T1 values, whereas T1 values of malignant tissue were elevated. T1 values for mammary dysplasia extended over a wide range, and NMR images exhibited lower proton density than normal tissue. In several patients with severely dysplastic breasts, T1 values overlapped those from patients with documented breast neoplasms. Markedly elevated T1 values were obtained from fluid-filled cysts that were well beyond the range of malignancy.
Ross et al. (Thu,) studied this question.