MRI morphological classification of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) correlating with different biological behavior

Objective: To investigate morphological appearance of ductal carcinoma in situ of breast on MRI and to correlate the appearances with some factors. Methods and materials: MRI feature of 41 DCISs were analyzed retrospectively according to ACR BI-RADS, twenty-three of the 41 were pure DCIS and 18 were DCIS with microinvasion (DCIS-MI). The shape was categorized as mass lesion and non-mass-like lesion. The shape was correlated with histological grade, ER status and expression of e-erbB2 as well as pure DCIS or DCIS-MI. Results: Percentage of high grade in non-mass-like lesion was higher than that in mass type group, Average size of tumor in group of high grade, negative ER status and positive c-erbB2 expression were larger than that in non-high grade, positive ER status and negative c-erbB2 expression. Comparing pure DCIS and DCIS-MI, high grade in DCIS-MI was significantly higher than that in pure DCIS, Average size of DCIS-MI was larger than that in pure DCIS. Percentage of non-mass-like lesion was higher in DCIS-IM than that in pure DCIS, the difference was marginally significant. Conclusion: DCIS can be classified as mass type and non-mass-like type morphologically on MRI. The two types reflect different biological behavior. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.