Detection of hepatic metastases in breast cancer: the role of nonenhanced and enhanced CT scanning.

Nonenhanced and enhanced CT was compared in 88 patients with breast cancer and hepatic metastasis. Twenty-five patients had bolus, sequential dynamic CT, and 63 patients were scanned more slowly after a bolus or during drip infusion. Metastatic lesions were more conspicuous on nonenhanced CT and became isodense or nearly isodense after contrast medium administration in 28% of the patients scanned dynamically and in 29% of those scanned more slowly. Although breast cancer has not generally been considered a common origin of hypervascular metastases, we recommend that it be treated as such and that both enhanced and nonenhanced CT of the liver be obtained when patients are screened for metastasis.