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Introduction: Breast lesions of uncertain malignant potential (B3) include atypical ductal and lobular hyperplasias, lobular carcinoma in situ, flat epithelial atypia, papillary lesions, radial scars and fibroepithelial lesions as well as other rare miscellaneous lesions. They are challenging to categorise histologically, requiring specialist training and multidisciplinary input. They may coexist with in situ or invasive breast cancer (BC) and increase the risk of subsequent BC development. Management should focus on adequate classification and management whilst avoiding overtreatment. The aim of these guidelines is to provide updated information regarding the diagnosis and management of B3 lesions, according to updated literature review evidence., Methods: These guidelines provide practical recommendations which can be applied in clinical practice which include recommendation grade and level of evidence. All sections were written according to an updated literature review and discussed at a consensus meeting. Critical appraisal by the expert writing committee adhered to the 23 items in the international Appraisal of Guidelines, Research and Evaluation (AGREE) tool., Results: Recommendations for further management after core-needle biopsy (CNB) or vacuum-assisted biopsy (VAB) diagnosis of a B3 lesion reported in this guideline, vary depending on the presence of atypia, size of lesion, sampling size, and patient preferences. After CNB or VAB, the option of vacuum-assisted excision or surgical excision should be evaluated by a multidisciplinary team and shared decision-making with the patient is crucial for personalizing further treatment. De-escalation of surgical intervention for B3 breast lesions is ongoing, and the inclusion of vacuum-assisted excision (VAE) will decrease the need for surgical intervention in further approaches. Communication with patients may be different according to histological diagnosis, presence or absence of atypia, or risk of upgrade due to discordant imaging. Written information resources to help patients understand these issues alongside with verbal communication is recommended. Lifestyle interventions have a significant impact on BC incidence so lifestyle interventions need to be suggested to women at increased BC risk as a result of a diagnosis of a B3 lesion., Conclusions: These guidelines provide a state-of-the-art overview of the diagnosis, management and prognosis of B3 lesions in modern multidisciplinary breast practice., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: Motion is a relevant cause of artifacts in breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), potentially degrading image quality, even with optimized protocols., Purpose: To investigate the causes of motion artifacts (MA) impacting on image quality (IQ) of contrast-enhanced breast MRI., Material and Methods: Retrospective two-center study on consecutive 1.5-T contrast-enhanced breast MRI, independently reviewed by two radiologists on first subtracted and maximum intensity projection images to define the side most affected by MA. IQ was scored as 1 (optimal), 2 (reduced, but without reduction of diagnostic power), or 3 (reduced, with reduced diagnostic power). Correlations with injection side, breast size (A/B vs. C/D cups), patient age, clinical indication, and MRI scanner/protocol were assessed using χ 2 and Fisher's exact statistics., Results: In total, 237 examinations were included, with right injection performed in 124 (52%) and left in 113 (48%). MA were more frequent on the side ipsilateral to the injection (144/237, 61%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 54-67%) than on the contralateral (93/237, 95% CI 33-46%) ( P  < 0.001); IQ was scored 1 in 154/237 (65%), 2 in 63/237 (27%), and 3 in 20/237 (8%) examinations; patients with A/B cups showed higher IQ score than patients with C/D cups (scores 1, 2, and 3: 54% vs. 70%; 29% vs. 25%; 17% vs. 5%, respectively, P  = 0.002). No significant correlations were found for MA ( P ≥0.106) or IQ ( P  ≥ 0.318) between ipsi- or contralateral injection and right/left injection, breast size, age, indication, or scanner/protocol., Conclusion: MA were more frequent in breasts ipsilateral to contrast injection and showed a reduced IQ for small breasts.

Among lesions with uncertain malignant potential found at percutaneous breast biopsy, atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH) carries both the highest risk of underestimation and the closest and most pathologist-dependent differential diagnosis with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), matching the latter's features save for size only. ADH is therefore routinely surgically excised, but single-centre studies with limited sample size found low rates of upgrade to invasive cancer or DCIS. This suggests the possibility of surveillance over surgery in selected subgroups, considering the 2% threshold allowing for follow-up according to the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System. A recent meta-analysis on 6458 lesions counters this approach, confirming that, surgically excised or managed with surveillance, ADH carries a 29% and 5% upgrade rate, respectively, invariably higher than 2% even in subgroups considering biopsy guidance and technique, needle calibre, apparent complete lesion removal. The high heterogeneity ( I = 80%) found in this meta-analysis reaffirmed the need to synthesise evidence from systematic reviews to achieve generalisable results, fit for guidelines development. Limited tissue sampling at percutaneous biopsy intrinsically hampers the prediction of ADH-associated malignancy. This prediction could be improved by using contrast-enhanced breast imaging and applying artificial intelligence on both pathology and imaging results, allowing for overtreatment reduction.2 = 80%) found in this meta-analysis reaffirmed the need to synthesise evidence from systematic reviews to achieve generalisable results, fit for guidelines development. Limited tissue sampling at percutaneous biopsy intrinsically hampers the prediction of ADH-associated malignancy. This prediction could be improved by using contrast-enhanced breast imaging and applying artificial intelligence on both pathology and imaging results, allowing for overtreatment reduction.

Objectives: While magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is considered a helpful diagnostic tool in breast imaging, discussions are ongoing about appropriate protocols and indications. The European Society of Breast Imaging (EUSOBI) launched a survey to evaluate the utilisation of breast MRI in clinical practice., Methods: An online survey reviewed by the EUSOBI board and committees was distributed amongst members. The questions encompassed: training and experience; annual breast MRI and MRI-guided-intervention workload; examination protocols; indications; reporting habits and preferences. Data were summarised and subgroups compared using χ 2 test., Results: Of 647 EUSOBI members, 177 (27.4%) answered the survey. The majority were radiologists (90.5%), half of them based in academic centres (51.9%). Common indications for MRI included cancer staging, treatment monitoring, high-risk screening and problem-solving, and differed significantly between countries (p≤0.03). Structured reporting and BI-RADS were mostly used. Breast radiologists with ≤10 years of experience preferred inclusion of additional techniques, such as T2/STIR (p=0.03) and DWI (p=0.08) in the scan protocol. MRI-guided interventions were performed by a minority of participants (35.4%)., Conclusions: The utilisation of breast MRI in clinical practice is generally in line with international recommendations. There are substantial differences between countries. MRI-guided interventions and functional MRI parameters are not widely available., Key Points: • MRI is commonly used for the detection and characterisation of breast lesions. • Clinical practice standards are generally in line with current recommendations. • Standardised criteria and diagnostic categories (mainly BI-RADS) are widely adopted. • Younger radiologists value additional techniques, such as T2/STIR and DWI. • MRI-guided breast biopsy is not widely available.

Purpose: A strong association between breast arterial calcifications (BAC) and cardiovascular disease has been demonstrated. However, BAC quantification tools are lacking. We evaluated the intra- and inter-observer reproducibility of a semi-automatic tool for BAC quantification on digital mammograms., Materials and Methods: A multivendor image dataset of 212 mammographic views, 106 cranio-caudal (CC) and 106 medio-lateral oblique (MLO), were retrospectively selected from 53 subjects if BAC were seen in at least one view. Images were segmented twice by two intensively trained residents in Radiodiagnostics with > 6-month experience in mammography using a semi-automatic software. The two observers (O1, O2) independently positioned rectangular ROIs where they recognized BAC on both CC and MLO views, separately. The adaptive thresholding algorithm automatically provided the BAC amount in mm 2 . Number, size, and position of the ROIs were observer-dependent. Total BAC amount was calculated for each patient. Bland-Altman analysis was used., Results: Total BAC amount was 56.6 (IQR 18.1-91.1) and 41.0 (IQR 18.8-90.9) for O1 and O2, respectively. Intra-observer Bland-Altman analysis showed a bias of 11.9 mm 2 , a coefficient of repeatability of 32.7 mm 2 , an average measurement of 72.8 mm 2 , for a 55% reproducibility; the same data were - 7.0, 61.4, 63.4 mm 2 , and only 3%, respectively, for the inter-observer analysis., Conclusion: Our semi-automatic tool for BAC quantification showed a poor reproducibility. These results pointed out that the human identification of BAC represents the main source of variability. Further research is needed to translate BAC quantification into clinical practice.

Unlabelled: This paper summarizes information about breast MRI to be provided to women and referring physicians. After listing contraindications, procedure details are described, stressing the need for correct scheduling and not moving during the examination. The structured report including BI-RADS® categories and further actions after a breast MRI examination are discussed. Breast MRI is a very sensitive modality, significantly improving screening in high-risk women. It also has a role in clinical diagnosis, problem solving, and staging, impacting on patient management. However, it is not a perfect test, and occasionally breast cancers can be missed. Therefore, clinical and other imaging findings (from mammography/ultrasound) should also be considered. Conversely, MRI may detect lesions not visible on other imaging modalities turning out to be benign (false positives). These risks should be discussed with women before a breast MRI is requested/performed. Because breast MRI drawbacks depend upon the indication for the examination, basic information for the most important breast MRI indications is presented. Seventeen notes and five frequently asked questions formulated for use as direct communication to women are provided. The text was reviewed by Europa Donna-The European Breast Cancer Coalition to ensure that it can be easily understood by women undergoing MRI., Key Points: • Information on breast MRI concerns advantages/disadvantages and preparation to the examination • Claustrophobia, implantable devices, allergic predisposition, and renal function should be checked • Before menopause, scheduling on day 7-14 of the cycle is preferred • During the examination, it is highly important that the patient keeps still • Availability of prior examinations improves accuracy of breast MRI interpretation.

Objectives: To evaluate second-look digital breast tomosynthesis (SL-DBT) for additional findings (AFs) at preoperative MRI compared with second-look ultrasound (SL-US)., Methods: We included 135 patients with breast cancer who underwent digital mammography (DM), DBT, US, and MRI at two centres. MR images were retrospectively evaluated to find AFs, described as focus, mass, or non-mass; ≤10 mm or >10 mm in size; BI-RADS 3, 4, or 5. DM and DBT exams were reviewed looking for MRI AFs; data on SL-US were collected. Reference standard was histopathology or ≥12-month negative follow-up. Fisher exact test and McNemar test were used., Results: Eighty-four AFs were detected in 53/135 patients (39%, 95%CI 31-48%). A correlate was found for 44/84 (52%, 95%CI 41-63%) at SL-US, for 20/84 (24%, 95%CI 11-28%) at SL-DM, for 42/84 (50%, 95%CI 39-61%) at SL-DBT, for 63/84 (75%, 95%CI 64-84%) at SL-DBT, and/or SL-US, the last rate being higher than for SL-US only, overall (p < 0.001), for mass or non-mass, ≤ or >10 mm, BI-RADS 4 or 5, or malignant lesions (p < 0.031). Of 21 AFs occult at both SLs, 17 were malignant (81%, 95%CI 58-94%)., Conclusions: When adding SL-DBT to SL-US, AFs detection increased from 52% to 75%. MR-guided biopsy is needed for the remaining 25%., Key Points: • Detection rate of MRI AFs using SL-US was 52% • Adding SL-DBT, the detection rate of MRI AFs significantly increased to 75%. • Over 80% of the remaining 25% MRI AFs were malignant. • MR-guided biopsy should be used when SL-US and SL-DBT are inconclusive.

Objective: To describe MRI features of fat necrosis of the breast., Materials and Methods: Twenty-five lesions in 16 patients were retrospectively analyzed. MRI was performed due to equivocal findings at conventional imaging after surgical treatment of cancer (n=14) or during anticoagulant therapy (n=1), after focal mastitis treated with ductal resection (n=1). In the 15 patients with previous surgery MRI was performed after a median interval of 24 months, using short tau inversion recovery (STIR) and contrast-enhanced dynamic T1-weighted sequences. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) inside the lesion and surrounding healthy fat was calculated on both STIR and unenhanced T1-weighted images. Maximal lesion diameter was measured on STIR images. All lesions had final clinical and imaging assessment in favor of fat necrosis and negative clinical and imaging follow-up (21-40 months; median 24 months)., Results: At STIR sequence, fat necrosis appeared as a "black hole", being markedly hypointense (median SNR=29) compared with surrounding fat (median SNR=95) (P<0.001), while no significant difference was found at unenhanced T1-weighted sequence. No significant correlation with time from treatment was found. Of 25 lesions, 15 showed ring enhancement, with continuous increase (n=10), plateau (n=2), or wash-out curve (n=3). The 11 enhancing lesions in the 8 patients with previous radiation therapy showed an initial enhancement higher than that of the 4 enhancing lesions in the 2 patients who did not, although the difference was not significant (P=0.104)., Conclusion: Fat necrosis of the breast exhibits a "black hole" sign on STIR images, allowing for an easier diagnosis in clinical practice., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Automatic segmentation of the breast and axillary region is an important preprocessing step for automatic lesion detection in breast MR and dynamic contrast-enhanced-MR studies. In this paper, we present a fully automatic procedure based on the detection of the upper border of the pectoral muscle. Compared with previous methods based on thresholding, this method is more robust to noise and field inhomogeneities. The method was quantitatively evaluated on 31 cases acquired from two centers by comparing the results with a manual segmentation. Results indicate good overall agreement within the reference segmentation (overlap=0.79 ± 0.09, recall=0.95 ± 0.02, precision=0.82 ± 0.1).

The value of breast vascular maps obtained using contrast-enhanced MR imaging has recently been explored. Additional information is obtained only by evaluating maximum intensity projections of the first dynamic subtraction to achieve a form of MR angiography of the breast. No increase in acquisition time and no dedicated contrast injections are needed. Four studies have been performed to evaluate the one-sided (asymmetric) increase in vascularity associated with ipsilateral cancer in a total of 404 patients with a cancer prevalence ranging from 38% to 80%. Sensitivity ranged from 72% to 88%, specificity from 57% to 100%, positive predictive value from 85% to 100%, negative predictive value from 38% to 88%, and overall accuracy from 73% to 87%. An asymmetric increase in breast vascularity ipsilateral to a cancer may be due to reduced flow resistance in the tumour, to a high metabolic rate (more likely in large tumours) or to angiogenic stimulation of the whole breast harbouring the lesion (more likely in small tumours). Tumour size could play a specific role in determining the ipsilaterally increased vascularity, and invasive cancers might be more frequently associated with ipsilaterally increased vascularity than in situ cancers. Moreover, while a reduction in breast vasculature has anecdotically been observed in breasts with locally advanced cancers treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, especially when taxanes are used, the higher incidence of breast cancer in patients with size asymmetry between the breasts as determined on screening mammography suggests that a role for breast MR vascular mapping in breast cancer risk stratification should be explored. Finally, arteries and veins might be differentiated with dedicated techniques. High-relaxivity agents may be used with advantage in these future investigations.

Purpose: To retrospectively compare three different doses of gadobenate dimeglumine with a standard dose of gadopentetate dimeglumine for magnetic resonance (MR) imaging evaluation of breast vessels and to evaluate the accuracy of one-sided increased vascularity seen on gadobenate dimeglumine-enhanced MR images as an indicator of ipsilateral breast cancer., Materials and Methods: The original study had local ethics committee approval; informed consent was obtained from all enrolled patients. Ninety-five patients known to have or suspected of having breast cancer were randomly assigned to four groups to receive gadobenate dimeglumine at a dose of 0.05, 0.10, or 0.20 mmol per kilogram of body weight or gadopentetate dimeglumine at a dose of 0.10 mmol/kg. T1-weighted gradient-echo MR images were acquired before and 2 minutes after intravenous contrast material injection. Subtracted images were used to obtain maximum intensity projections (MIPs). Two readers blinded to the type and dose of contrast agent administered scored the MIPs obtained in the dose groups for vessel number, length, and conspicuity from 0, which indicated absent or low breast vascularity, to 3, which indicated high breast vascularity. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of one-sided increased vascularity in association with ipsilateral malignancy for 69 histopathologically confirmed lesions (reference standard) were determined after gadobenate dimeglumine-enhanced MR imaging., Results: The mean MIP scores assigned to the gadobenate dimeglumine groups were significantly higher than those assigned to the gadopentetate dimeglumine group (P < or = .044). Histopathologic analysis revealed malignant lesions in 52 of 69 patients examined with gadobenate dimeglumine MR imaging: invasive ductal carcinoma in 45, invasive lobular carcinoma in four, and invasive mixed ductal-lobular carcinoma in three patients. Seventeen patients had benign lesions. Two cases of bilateral invasive cancer with symmetric breast vascular maps were excluded. Thus, the overall sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV, and NPV of one-sided increased vascularity as a finding associated with ipsilateral malignancy were 88% (44 of 50 patients), 82% (14 of 17 patients), 87% (58 of 67 patients), 94% (44 of 47 patients), and 70% (14 of 20 patients), respectively., Conclusion: Gadobenate dimeglumine is effective for MR imaging evaluation of breast vessels at doses as low as 0.05 mmol/kg. One-sided increased vascularity is an MR imaging finding frequently associated with ipsilateral invasive breast cancer., (Copyright RSNA, 2005)

Despite its high diagnostic performance, the use of breast MRI in the preoperative setting is controversial. It has the potential for personalized surgical management in breast cancer patients, but two of three randomized controlled trials did not show results in favor of its introduction for assessing the disease extent before surgery. Meta-analyses showed a higher mastectomy rate in women undergoing preoperative MRI compared to those who do not. Nevertheless, preoperative breast MRI is increasingly used and a survey from the American Society of Breast Surgeons showed that 41% of respondents ask for it in daily practice. In this context, a large-scale observational multicenter international prospective analysis (MIPA study) was proposed under the guidance of the European Network for the Assessment of Imaging in Medicine (EuroAIM). The aims were (1) to prospectively and systematically collect data on consecutive women with a newly diagnosed breast cancer, not candidates for neoadjuvant therapy, who are offered or not offered breast MRI before surgery according to local practice; (2) to compare these two groups in terms of surgical and clinical endpoints, adjusting for covariates. The underlying hypotheses are that MRI does not cause additional mastectomies compared to conventional imaging, while reducing the reoperation rate in all or in subgroups of patients. Ninety-six centers applied to a web-based call; 36 were initially selected based on volume and quality standards; 27 were active for enrollment. On November 2018, the target of 7000 enrolled patients was reached. The MIPA study is presently at the analytic phase. Key Points • Breast MRI has a high diagnostic performance but its utility in the preoperative setting is controversial. • A large-scale observational multicenter prospective study was launched to compare women receiving with those not receiving preoperative MRI. • Twenty-seven centers enrolled more than 7000 patients. The study is presently at the analytic phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Description: The European Commission Initiative for Breast Cancer Screening and Diagnosis guidelines (European Breast Guidelines) are coordinated by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre. The target audience for the guidelines includes women, health professionals, and policymakers.Methods: An international guideline panel of 28 multidisciplinary members, including patients, developed questions and corresponding recommendations that were informed by systematic reviews of the evidence conducted between March 2016 and December 2018. GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) Evidence to Decision frameworks were used to structure the process and minimize the influence of competing interests by enhancing transparency. Questions and recommendations, expressed as strong or conditional, focused on outcomes that matter to women and provided a rating of the certainty of evidence.Recommendations: This synopsis of the European Breast Guidelines provides recommendations regarding organized screening programs for women aged 40 to 75 years who are at average risk. The recommendations address digital mammography screening and the addition of hand-held ultrasonography, automated breast ultrasonography, or magnetic resonance imaging compared with mammography alone. The recommendations also discuss the frequency of screening and inform decision making for women at average risk who are recalled for suspicious lesions or who have high breast density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To test 3T proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-MRS) for breast mass lesions. Methods: Patients with BI-RADS 4-5 lesions at mammography/ultrasound were prospectively enrolled. After contrast-enhanced breast MRI, single-voxel MRS (point-resolved volume selection, PRESS); pencil-beam shimming; volume of interest 1 cm; TR/TE = 3000/135 ms) was performed. Spectra were considered reliable if the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the water peak was ≤45 Hz. A signal-to-noise ratio of the total choline (tCho) peak at 3.21 ppm ≥2 was used as cutoff for malignancy. All lesions underwent needle sampling. Final pathology was available for all malignant lesions; for benign lesions the reference standard was final pathology or at least 1-year negative follow-up. Results: Reliable spectra were obtained in 115/127 lesions (91%), with a mean FWHM of 32.4 Hz (range 8-45 Hz). A tCho peak SNR ≥2 was detected in 66 malignant lesions (62 invasive cancers; 4 ductal carcinoma in situ) and in 3 benign lesions. Excluding lesions located ≤1 cm from the skin ( n = 3) or pectoral muscle ( n = 11), sensitivity was 65/73 [89%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 80-95%], and specificity 25/28 (89%) (95% CI: 72-98%). Considering only invasive cancers, sensitivity reached 61/68 (90%, 95% CI: 81-96%). MRS additional time was 8 min. Conclusions: When lesions close to the skin or pectoral muscle are excluded, 3T H-MRS of mass lesions ≥1 cm showed a high diagnostic performance, however, insufficient to avoid needle biopsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To evaluate changes in total choline (tCho) absolute concentration ([tCho]) in the breast of healthy fertile women in relation to menstrual cycle (MC) or use of oral contraceptives (OC). Methods: After institutional review board approval, we prospectively evaluated 40 healthy fertile volunteers: 20 with physiological MC, aged 28 ± 3 years (mean ± standard deviation; nOC group); 20 using OC, aged 26 ± 3 years (OC group). Hormonal assays and water-suppressed single-voxel 3-T proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) were performed on MC days 7, 14, and 21 in the nOC group and only on MC day 14 in the OC group. [tCho] was measured versus an external phantom. Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman coefficient were used; data are given as median and interquartile interval. Results: All spectra had good quality. In the nOC group, [tCho] (mM) did not change significantly during MC: 0.8 (0.3–2.4) on day 7, 0.9 (0.4–1.2) on day 14, and 0.4 (0.2–0.8) on day 21 (p = 0.963). In the OC group, [tCho] was 0.7 (0.2–1.7) mM. The between-groups difference was not significant on all days (p ≥ 0.411). All hormones except prolactin changed during MC (p ≤ 0.024). In the OC group, [tCho] showed a borderline correlation with estradiol (r = 0.458, p = 0.056), but no correlation with other hormones (p ≥ 0.128). In the nOC group, [tCho] negatively correlated with prolactin (r = -0.587, p = 0.006) on day 7; positive correlation was found with estradiol on day 14 (r = 0.679, p = 0.001). Conclusions: A tCho peak can be detected in the normal mammary gland using 3-T 1H-MRS. The [tCho] in healthy volunteers was 0.4–0.9 mM, constant over the MC and independent of OC use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]