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Inflammatory breast cancer: MR imaging findings

Carcinoma infiammatorio della mammella (IBC): aspetti RM

  • Breast Radiology / Senologia
  • Published:
La radiologia medica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

This paper describes the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging features of primary inflammatory breast cancer (IBC).

Materials and methods

Two radiologists reviewed the MR examinations of 14 women with a pathological diagnosis of IBC. Images were assessed for skin thickening, oedema, nipple retraction, architectural distortion, type and extent of parenchymal and cutaneous enhancement and enhancement kinetics over time, axillary and internal mammary lymphadenopathy, pectoral muscle enhancement and additional findings.

Results

Skin thickening was identified in eight patients (58%), oedema in nine (64%), nipple retraction in two (14%), architectural distortion in eight (58%), mass-like enhancement in five (36%), non-mass-like enhancement in nine (64%) with washout enhancement curve in 12 (86%) and plateau curve in two (14%), axillary lymphadenopathy in 12 (86%) and internal mammary artery lymphadenopathy in two (14%), and pectoral muscle enhancement in one (7%). Additional findings included increased breast volume in two patients (14%), prepectoral fluid in four (28%) and hypertrophic internal mammary artery in three (21%).

Conclusions

The most characteristic MR findings of IBC are skin thickening, oedema, architectural distortion, masslike enhancement with washout curve and axillary lymphadenopathy; less frequent ones are nipple retraction, mass-like enhancement and internal mammary lymphadenopathy. Prepectoral fluid is frequent but is not a sign of infiltration.

Riassunto

Obiettivo

Descrivere i segni di risonanza magnetica (RM) associati al carcinoma infiammatorio della mammella.

Materiali e metodi

Due radiologi hanno valutato le RM di 14 pazienti con diagnosi patologica di carcinoma infiammatorio valutando: ispessimento, edema cutaneo, retrazione del capezzolo, distorsione architetturale, tipo ed estensione dell’impregnazione parenchimale e cutanea e suo andamento nel tempo, adenomegalia ascellare e mammaria interna, impregnazione del pettorale e reperti accessori.

Risultati

Ispessimento cutaneo era presente in 8 pazienti (58%), edema cutaneo in 9 (64%), retrazione del capezzolo in 2 (14%), distorsione architetturale in 8 (58%), impregnazione parenchimale tipo massa in 5 (36%), e tipo non massa in 9 (64%) con curva dinamica di impregnazione persistente in 2 (14%) e con wash-out in 12 (86%), impregnazione cutanea in 2 (14%), adenomegalia ascellare in 12 (86%) e mammaria interna in 2 (14%), impregnazione pettorale in 1 (7%). Aumento del volume mammario si è rilevato in 2 pazienti (14%), liquido prepettorale in 4 (28%), arteria mammaria ipertrofica in 3 (21%).

Conclusioni

Nel carcinoma infiammatorio, i segni RM più caratteristici sono ispessimento, edema cutaneo, distorsione architetturale, impregnazione estesa tipo non massa con andamento wash-out e linfoadenopatia ascellare; meno frequenti, retrazione del capezzolo, impregnazione tipo massa e adenomegalia mammaria interna. La presenza di liquido pre-pettorale è frequente e non ne comporta infiltrazione.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Istituto di Radiologia, Università degli studi di Verona, P. le L.A. Scuro, 37134, Verona, Italy

    G. Carbognin, C. Calciolari, V. Girardi, L. Camera & R. Pozzi Mucelli

  2. Istituto di Chirurgia A, Policlinico G.B. Rossi, Università degli studi di Verona, P. le L.A. Scuro, 37134, Verona, Italy

    G. Pollini

Authors
  1. G. Carbognin
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  2. C. Calciolari
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  3. V. Girardi
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  4. L. Camera
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  5. G. Pollini
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  6. R. Pozzi Mucelli
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Correspondence to G. Carbognin.

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Carbognin, G., Calciolari, C., Girardi, V. et al. Inflammatory breast cancer: MR imaging findings. Radiol med 115, 70–82 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11547-009-0475-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11547-009-0475-6

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