Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38008743›Full record

ArticleEuropean radiology2024

Image quality of DWI at breast MRI depends on the amount of fibroglandular tissue: implications for unenhanced screening.

Mirjam Wielema, Paul E Sijens, Ruud M Pijnappel, Geertruida H De Bock, Marcel Zorgdrager, Marius G J Kok, Eva Rainer, Raoul Varga, Paola Clauser, Matthijs Oudkerk and 2 more

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in European radiology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
2.1field-weighted citation impact, top 12% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
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  4. Article
  5. Breast MRI to Screen Women With Extremely Dense Breasts.Journal of magnetic resonance imaging : JMRI · 2025
    Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Mirjam WielemaDepartment of Radiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
Paul E SijensDepartment of Radiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
Ruud M PijnappelDepartment of Radiology, Utrecht University, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Geertruida H De BockDepartment of Epidemiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
Marcel ZorgdragerDepartment of Radiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
Marius G J KokDepartment of Radiology, Medisch Spectrum Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands.
Eva RainerDepartment of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Raoul VargaDepartment of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Paola ClauserDepartment of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Matthijs OudkerkInstitute for Diagnostic Accuracy, Groningen, the Netherlands.
Monique D DorriusDepartment of Radiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
Pascal A T BaltzerDepartment of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. pascal.baltzer@meduniwien.ac.at.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3755-5398
University Medical Center Groningen · NLMedical University of Vienna · ATMedisch Spectrum Twente · NLUtrecht University · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo compare image quality of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and contrast-enhanced breast MRI (DCE-T1) stratified by the amount of fibroglandular tissue (FGT) as a measure of breast density.

methodsRetrospective, multi-reader, bicentric visual grading analysis study on breast density (A-D) and overall image and fat suppression quality of DWI and DCE-T1, scored on a standard 5-point Likert scale. Cross tabulations and visual grading characteristic (VGC) curves were calculated for fatty breasts (A/B) versus dense breasts (C/D).

resultsImage quality of DWI was higher in the case of increased breast density, with good scores (score 3-5) in 85.9% (D) and 88.4% (C), compared to 61.6% (B) and 53.5% (A). Overall image quality of DWI was in favor of dense breasts (C/D), with an area under the VGC curve of 0.659 (p < 0.001). Quality of DWI and DCE-T1 fat suppression increased with higher breast density, with good scores (score 3-5) for 86.9% and 45.7% of density D, and 90.2% and 42.9% of density C cases, compared to 76.0% and 33.6% for density B and 54.7% and 29.6% for density A (DWI and DCE-T1 respectively).

conclusionsDense breasts show excellent fat suppression and substantially higher image quality in DWI images compared with non-dense breasts. These results support the setup of studies exploring DWI-based MR imaging without IV contrast for additional screening of women with dense breasts. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Our findings demonstrate that image quality of DWI is robust in women with an increased amount of fibroglandular tissue, technically supporting the feasibility of exploring applications such as screening of women with mammographically dense breasts. KEY POINTS: • Image and fat suppression quality of diffusion-weighted imaging are dependent on the amount of fibroglandular tissue (FGT) which is closely connected to breast density. • Fat suppression quality in diffusion-weighted imaging of the breast is best in women with a high amount of fibroglandular tissue. • High image quality of diffusion-weighted imaging in women with a high amount of FGT in MRI supports that the technical feasibility of DWI can be explored in the additional screening of women with mammographically dense breasts.

Indexed as

BreastBreast DensityBreast NeoplasmsContrast MediaDiffusion Magnetic Resonance ImagingAdultAgedFemaleHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesContrast MediaArea under the curveBreast densityDiffusion magnetic resonance imagingEarly detection of cancerNeoplasms

Identifiers

PMID38008743
PMCPMC11213722
OpenAlexW4389029356

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.