Protocolo abreviado da ressonância magnética das mamas

Abstract

Introduction: Breast cancer is currently among the most frequent malignancies, and it is one of the leading causes of cancer death in the female population worldwide. Breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) stands out due to its superior accuracy over other available imaging methods. However, this diagnostic resource shows limitations, including time-consuming imaging and interpretation, resulting in a highly individual procedure cost. The abbreviated breast MRI protocol (AB-MRI), shorter and more straightforward, represents a significant decrease in time and, consequently, in procedure costs, emerging as an alternative to expanding the access to this imaging method. Objective: The present study aims to assess the intra-observer agreement between abbreviated and full-diagnostic protocols (FD-MRI) in interpreting breast MRI. Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study, with a consecutive sample of women who underwent breast MRI. Three expert radiologists with 12-, 7-, and 2-year experience evaluated the images independently. AB-MRI and FD-MRI assessments were carried out consecutively. According to the Breast Imaging - Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS), findings were categorized as one category per breast for each protocol. Results: This study included 419 women (838 breasts or BI-RADS categories). A very good agreement was observed between the AB-MRI and FD-MRI for the total study population, MRI indication subgroups, and simplified BI-RADS categories grouped by malignancy suspicion and management recommendation. Conclusion: The agreement reached between the protocols implies that, despite its reduced complexity, the AB-MRI can meet most FD-MRI demands. Prospective studies are needed to standardize the AB-MRI and the simplified BI-RADS, validating them for breast cancer screening and diagnosis.