Kinetic Curves of Malignant Lesions Are Not Consistent Across MR Systems: The Need for Improved Standardization of Breast DCEMRI Acquisitions.

Sanaz Arkani Jansen¹, Akiko Shimauchi, Lindsay Zak, Xiaobing Fan, Abbie Wood, Gregory Karczmar, Gillian Newstead

Standardization of breast dynamic enhanced MR imaging (DCEMRI) protocols is not widespread at this time, with several different manufacturers and imaging protocols being implemented routinely. Radiologists and imaging physicists should expect that breast lesions appear similarly in all clinical acquisitions, so that similar interpretation criteria can be applied and similar diagnostic accuracy can be achieved. Surprisingly, in this study we found that malignant lesions imaged with one system exhibit significantly lower initial uptake and decreased washout type curves compared with two other systems. Improved standardization procedures are necessary so that all women undergoing breast DCEMRI can be imaged adequately.