Recognizing artifacts and optimizing breast MRI at 1.5 and 3 T.

OBJECTIVE: This article will discuss routine 1.5 and 3 T MRI of the breast as well as illustrate several examples of patient-related and technical artifacts one might encounter. Suggestions to help eliminate these artifacts and optimize images will be provided. CONCLUSION: Artifacts seen on breast MR images can degrade image quality and obscure important findings. Recognizing artifacts and understanding how to address and troubleshoot them is essential for any radiologist interpreting breast MRI.