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Figure 5a. Breast MR images acquired in a 55-year-old patient with a palpable mass in the left upper outer quadrant. The mass had been rated as probably benign on the basis of mammographic and US findings. (a) Axial maximum intensity projection MR image from an early postcontrast subtracted data set of the diagnostic breast MR imaging study (220/4.5; flip angle, 80°). The maximum intensity projection image depicts two lesions (arrows): the expected palpable mass (P) and a nonpalpable, incidental lesion (I) in the left breast. (b) Early postcontrast and (c) subtracted MR images from the dynamic series (220/4.5; flip angle, 80°) show the palpable mass (P). (d) Timesignal intensity curve of the palpable mass shows a type I time course. The x axis shows the dynamic imaging beginning time in seconds, and the y axis shows the intensity in arbitrary units. The palpable mass visible in bd exhibits a suggestively strong early-phase enhancement, but it is well circumscribed, has a lobulated appearance, and reveals internal septations, which are all findings consistent with fibroadenoma. d further supports the diagnosis of a fibroadenoma. The signal intensity time course corresponds to a type Ib curve. (e) Early postcontrast and (f) subtracted MR images from the dynamic series (220/4.5; flip angle, 80°) obtained several sections cephalad of the palpable mass in bd show the incidental lesion (arrow). (g) Timesignal intensity curve of the incidental lesion shows a type III time course. The x axis shows the dynamic imaging beginning time in seconds, and the y axis shows the intensity in arbitrary units. The small, incidental, nonpalpable lesion visible in eg shows the same rapid enhancement as the lesion visible in bd. Also, it is well circumscribed and enhances homogeneously. However, it has a type III (washout) curve, which prompted the prospective diagnosis of an occult breast cancer, together with a fibroadenoma, in the same breast. Because the incidental lesion visible in eg remained invisible at mammography (including spot compression) and at directed high-frequency breast US, excisional biopsy was performed after MR-guided stereotactic needle localization. Histologic confirmation of a 6-mm ductal invasive breast cancer pT1bN0M0 was obtained for the incidental lesion visible in eg, and confirmation of a myxoid fibroadenoma was obtained for the palpable lesion visible in bd.
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