Imaging features of primary breast lymphoma

Objective To analyze the imaging features of primary breast lymphoma.Methods Totally 15 patients(age 28—77,the mean age [49.5±3.9] years old) with primary breast lymphoma confirmed histopathologically were retrospectively reviewed.Imaging features of mammography,ultrasonogrphy,CT and MR were evaluated by two radiologists.Results Seventeen lesions sized 1.3—12.0 cm were found in 15 patients.Mammograms of 10 patients showed 10 nonspiculated masses in 8 patients,1 punctate calcification lesion,and aorealar skin thickness in 3 lesions.No abnormality was found in 1 patient,while poor lesion demonstration because of special location was found in the other patient.Nine patients underwent ultrasonography,which found 11 lesions.The typical masses were mixed hyper-and hypoechoic in 6 lesions,and hypervascular in 7 lesions;two lesions demonstrated echogenic boundary,and 4 had posterior enhancement.Eight patients underwent CT.Plain CT of 2 patients showed diffuse enlargement of the breast;enhanced CT of 6 patients showed mildly to moderately homogenous enhancement(n=4) or heterogeneous enhancement(n=2) of the lesions.Four patients underwent MR.T2WI demonstrated high signal lesion in 1 patient,while moderate signal lesions in the other 3 patients;dynamic enhanced MR imaging of 4 patients showed intensely and heterogeneously enhancing masses in 3 patients,and homogeneously enhancing mass in the other one,while rapid enhancement and washout were observed in 3 patients,and persistent enhancement of the lesion was observed in 1 patient.Conclusion Primary breast lymphoma has some imaging characteristics.DWI may be helpful to the diagnosis of breast lymphoma.