Malignant invasion of the nipple-areolar complex of the breast: usefulness of breast MRI.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study is to assess the usefulness of breast MRI for the evaluation of malignant invasion of the nipple-areolar complex. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Breast MRI findings of 51 pathologically proven breast cancer lesions, which were within 2 cm distance from the nipple-areolar complex on sonography, were reviewed retrospectively. Breast MRI examinations were retrospectively reviewed for nipple inversion or retraction, periareolar skin thickening, nipple-areolar complex enhancement, relationship to the subareolar mass, malignant mass pattern, thickness of nipple-areolar complex enhancement, tumor-nipple distance, and tumor size and were correlated with the pathologic findings. The characteristic findings of Paget disease were reviewed. Mammography was reviewed independently without the knowledge of MRI findings. RESULTS: A statistically significant correlation was found between nipple-areolar complex enhancement and malignant invasion of the nipple-areolar complex, with a sensitivity of 93.8% and a specificity of 85.7%. On the basis of univariate and multivariate analyses, nipple-areolar complex enhancement and thickness of the nipple-areolar complex enhancement correlated significantly with pathologic invasion of the nipple-areolar complex (p < 0.001). Paget disease was confirmed in 63% of the lesions, and all cases of Paget disease revealed nipple-areolar complex enhancement on MRI. No statistically significant correlations were observed between the mammographic findings and malignant invasion of the nipple-areolar complex (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: MRI is a useful method for the evaluation of malignant invasion of the nipple-areolar complex. Nipple-areolar complex enhancement with thickening could suggest the possibility of nipple involvement.

Congenital hypothyroidism: analysis of discordant US and scintigraphic findings.

PURPOSE: To retrospectively review discordant cases of congenital hypothyroidism according to a comparison of findings of ultrasonography (US) and scintigraphy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Institutional review board approval was obtained for this retrospective study with a waiver of informed consent. Data of 300 pediatric patients (mean age, 4.7 weeks; range, 1-48 weeks; male-to-female ratio, 169:131) with congenital hypothyroidism who underwent technetium 99m radioisotope scintigraphy and US were reviewed. Scintigraphic scans were analyzed for location and range of the radioisotope uptake. US images were analyzed for location and thyroid volume. If a normal thyroid was not detected, ectopic thyroid was evaluated. Detection of focal thyroid abnormalities was recorded. Correlation between radioisotope uptake at scintigraphy and volume of normally located glands measured at US was analyzed by using the Pearson correlation test. Differences between results of thyroid function testing and radiologic data among subtypes of congenital hypothyroidism were analyzed with analysis of variance and Scheffe multiple comparison test. RESULTS: Among 55 patients with no radioisotope uptake, the appearance of the thyroid gland on US scans was normal in 42 patients (76%). This finding was attributed to hypopituitarism (n = 3), maternal antibody-induced hypothyroidism (n = 4), transient elevated thyrotropin (n = 5), and unknown causes (n = 30). Ectopic tissue was not detected at US (sensitivity, 78%; specificity, 100%) in six patients with a diagnosis of ectopy based on scintigraphic findings. Correlation between radioisotope uptake and US thyroid volume was statistically significant (P < .001). Correlation of results from thyroid function testing (thyrotropin, thyroxine, thyroglobulin) and radiologic data (radioisotope uptake, US measurement of volume) with subtypes of congenital hypothyroidism was significant (P < .001). Solid thyroid nodules were present in the thyroid gland in 0.7% (two of 300) of cases. CONCLUSION: Use of both scintigraphy and US results in a more complete depiction of neonatal congenital hypothyroidism than either test alone.

Magnetic resonance imaging of breast cancer and correlation with prognostic factors.

BACKGROUND: Prognostic factors of breast cancer have been used for the prediction of clinical outcome or selection of patients for complementary treatment. Some of the imaging features of breast cancer, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are associated with these prognostic factors. PURPOSE: To evaluate the relationship between dynamic enhanced MR features and prognostic factors of clinical outcome of breast cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 136 patients with 151 breast cancers underwent 1.5T dynamic MR imaging with the use of a dynamic T1-weighted three-dimensional fast low-angle shot (FLASH) subtraction imaging technique. Morphological and kinetic analyses of MR features were evaluated using the American College of Radiology (ACR) Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) MRI lexicon. Pathological prognostic factors were correlated with MR imaging characteristics, including tumor size, histological grade, lymph node status, expression of estrogen receptor (ER), expression of progesterone receptor (PR), expression of c-erbB2, determination of Ki-67 index, and microvascular density (MVD), using univariate and multivariate statistical analyses. RESULTS: Based on univariate and multivariate analyses, spiculated tumor margins correlated significantly with lower histological grade (I-II) and positive PR expression. Rim enhancement was significantly correlated with high histological grade, presence of axillary lymph node metastasis, large tumor size, increased Ki-67 index, and increased MVD. Early peak enhancement, as seen on the first scan after contrast medium injection, was correlated with negative ER expression. CONCLUSION: The presence of a lesion with a spiculated margin may predict a relatively good prognosis, and the presence of a lesion with rim enhancement may predict a relatively poor prognosis.