Benign and malignant breast lesions: differentiation with echo-planar MR imaging.

PURPOSE: To quantify dynamic enhancement of breast lesions with echo-planar and conventional magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, to correlate these data with histologic findings and vessel density, and to evaluate MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty female patients with 22 breast lesions underwent conventional and MR echo-planar imaging T1 values, change in gadopentetate dimeglumine concentration, and extraction-flow products were calculated with echo-planar imaging data and were correlated with histologic findings and microvessel density. RESULTS: T1 values of cancers were not statistically significantly shorter. Cancers had more rapid uptake and higher extraction-flow products (P < .02). Sensitivity was 86% and specificity was 93% for diagnosis of malignancy. Microvessel density was higher for malignant lesions (P < .02) with an overall positive (not statistically significant) correlation between extraction-flow product and microvessel density. CONCLUSION: Echo-planar imaging appears promising for quantification of breast lesion enhancement. Microvessel data indicate that tumor angiogenesis affects enhancement.