Insights into Imaging (Apr 2022)

Breast MRI during pregnancy and lactation: clinical challenges and technical advances

  • Noam Nissan,
  • Ethan Bauer,
  • Efi Efraim Moss Massasa,
  • Miri Sklair-Levy

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13244-022-01214-7
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 1
pp. 1 – 21

Abstract

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Abstract The breast experiences substantial changes in morphology and function during pregnancy and lactation which affects its imaging properties and may reduce the visibility of a concurrent pathological process. The high incidence of benign gestational-related entities may further add complexity to the clinical and radiological evaluation of the breast during the period. Consequently, pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) is often a delayed diagnosis and carries a poor prognosis. This state-of-the-art pictorial review illustrates how despite currently being underutilized, technical advances and new clinical evidence support the use of unenhanced breast MRI during pregnancy and both unenhanced and dynamic-contrast enhanced (DCE) during lactation, to serve as effective supplementary modalities in the diagnostic work-up of PABC.

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