Objective: We wanted to investigate the ability of breast MR imaging to identify the primary malignancy in patients with axillary lymph node metastases and initially negative mammography and sonography, and we correlated those results with the conventional imaging.
Materials and methods: From September 2001 to April 2006, 12 patients with axillary lymph node metastases and initially negative mammography and sonography underwent breast MR imaging to identify occult breast carcinoma. We analyzed the findings of the MR imaging, the MR-correlated mammography and the second-look sonography. We followed up both the MR-positive and MR-negative patients.
Results: MR imaging detected occult breast carcinoma in 10 of 12 (83%) patients. Two MR-negative patients were free of carcinoma in the ipsilateral breast during their follow-up period (39 and 44 months, respectively). In nine out of 10 patients, the MR-correlated mammography and second-look sonography localized lesions that were not detected on the initial exam. All the non-MR-correlated sonographic abnormalities were benign.
Conclusion: Breast MR imaging can identify otherwise occult breast cancer in patients with metastatic axillary lymph nodes. Localization of the lesions through MR-correlated mammography and second-look sonography is practically feasible in most cases.