[The value of MR-mammography at 1.5 tesla in the differential diagnosis of non-puerperal mastitis and inflammatory breast carcinoma].

PURPOSE

The distinction between mastitis and inflammatory breast carcinoma is an important one. Current methods of evaluation including mammography, ultrasound and clinical examination do not enable this distinction. Dynamic magnetic resonance mammography (MRM) is a study with potential in this regard.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

12 patients, in whom clinical examination, mammography and ultrasound could not distinguish between both diseases, were reviewed retrospectively by means of MRM using a 1.5 T Siemens Magnetom SP and a circular mamma coil. We used dynamic 3-D gradient echo sequences with a duration of one minute.

RESULTS

At present MRM cannot definitely distinguish between mastitis and inflammatory carcinoma, 80% of the inflammatory carcinomas were found to enhance more than 100% in the first minute, compared to 43% for mastitis. No other differences were seen.

CONCLUSION

MRM proved useful in the follow-up of treated mastitis to demonstrate the success of antibiotic treatment of mastitis and to diagnose a histologically unconfirmed inflammatory carcinoma by means of a different follow-up.