Outcome Analysis and Rational Management of Enhancing Lesions Incidentally Detected on Contrast-Enhanced MRI of the Breast

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of our study was to assess the prevalence, characteristics, and clinical consequence of incidentally detected enhancing lesions on MRI of the breast.SUBJECTS AND METHODS. MRI of the breast (1.0-T scanner, dynamic gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted three-dimensional gradient-echo sequence, double breast coil) was performed on 1273 women for different indications. Enhancing incidental lesions were defined as enhancing lesions on MRIs that were not expected from findings on the previous conventional imaging. They were classified in five assessment categories using a scoring system based on morphologic and kinetic enhancement characteristics. Detection of enhancing incidental lesions resulted in a review of mammograms and sonograms with the aim of also localizing these lesions on conventional imaging. The lesions were either biopsied or followed up.RESULTS. Twenty-five percent (274/1086) of all enhancing lesions detected in the study population were enhancing incidental lesions. Enhancing ...