Detection of Breast Abnormalities on Enhanced Chest CT: Correlation with Breast Composition on Mammography

Purpose To investigate the capability of enhanced chest computed tomography (CT) for detecting breast abnormalities and to assess the influence of breast composition on this detectability. Materials and Methods From 2000 to 2013, 75 patients who underwent mammography, breast sonography, and enhanced chest CT within one month and had abnormalities on sonography were included. Detection rate of breast abnormality on enhanced chest CT was compared among 4 types of breast composition by the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System. Contribution of breast composition, size and enhancement of target lesions to detectability of enhanced chest CT was assessed using logistic regression and chi-square test. Results Of the 75 target lesions, 34 (45.3%) were detected on enhanced chest CT, corresponding with those on breast sonography; there were no significantly different detection rates among the 4 types of breast composition (p = 0.078). Breast composition [odds ratio (OR) = 1.07, p = 0.206] and enhancement (OR = 21.49, p = 0.998) had no significant effect, but size (OR = 1.23, p = 0.004) was a significant contributing factor influencing the detectability of enhanced chest CT for breast lesions. Conclusion About half of the cases (45.3%) demonstrated breast lesions on chest CT corresponding with target lesions on sonography. Breast composition defined on mammography did not affect the detectability of enhanced chest CT for breast lesions.