Athanasios N. Chalazonitis MD, MPH, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Zoi Antoniou BMedSc, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Eleni Feida, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Spiros Liopiris, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Dionisis Goutzamanis, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Olga Giouvri, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Efi Christopolou, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

The purpose of our study is to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of dual energy contrast enhanced digital mammography (CEDM), as an adjunctive technique to digital mammography, using the histological results of all lesions and to study the added value of this method in the evaluation of early breast cancer.

Fifty (50) consenting women, with suspicious findings on digital mammography and/or on U/S, enrolled in this study. A pair of low and high energy images was acquired using a modified full field digital mammography system with a CsI absorber. MLO and CC projections of the breast with the suspicious findings were performed 2 minutes after 1,5 ml/kg iodinated contrast agent intravenous injection and then both projections of the “normal” breast were also performed. Two subtracted images with contrast agent uptake were reviewed by two experienced breast radiologists and compared with the histological results.    

A) One or more enhancing breast lesions were depicted in 34 women. 26 of the enhancing mammograms were histologically proven to be malignancies. In this group 5 women had multicentric enhancing malignant lesions. From the 8 rest of the 34 patients with enhancing lesions, 4 proved to be sclerosing adenosis, 2 fibroadenomas and 2 fibrosis-adenosis of the breast. B) In the remaining 16 women, without enhancing lesions, histological results were benign in 15 of them. The one missed lesion was a 7mm invasive ductal carcinoma with associated DCIS.  

Dual energy CEDM as an adjunctive tool to mammography can improve the diagnostic accuracy and the sensitivity to malignant breast lesions.

Dual energy CEDM is a new and advanced clinical application, easily implemented, fast and reproducible, with radiation comparable to that of standard digital mammography.

Chalazonitis, A, Antoniou, Z, Feida, E, Liopiris, S, Goutzamanis, D, Giouvri, O, Christopolou, E, The Added Value of Dual Energy Contrast Enhanced Digital Mammography in Breast Cancer Diagnosis.  Radiological Society of North America 2013 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, December 1 - December 6, 2013 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2013/13015201.html