"Non-mass enhancement at breast MRI is defined in the BI-RADS lexicon as an area of enhancement that does not meet criteria for a mass, such as by having nonconvex borders or intervening fat or fibroglandular tissue between the enhancing components."
"The BI-RADS lexicon (5th edition) provides standard descriptors for the distribution and internal pattern of non-mass contrast enhancement 1."
"Non-mass enhancement is usually assessed as suspicious and managed with core needle biopsy (BI-RADS 4)."
"There are limited data supporting a probably benign assessment for certain types of non-mass enhancement (BI-RADS 3), which remains a matter of intuition for most radiologists 1. In one newer study, a linear distribution of non-mass enhancement"
"In some clinical situations, enhancement could be transient and related to hormonal status. For instance, a premenopausal patient may be scanned in a suboptimal part of her cycle, or a postmenopausal patient may be taking hormone replacement therapy. If this is suspected but the finding is not clearly background parenchymal enhancement, the non-mass enhancement may be assessed as probably benign (BI-RADS 3) with a recommendation for a very short interval follow up (2-3 months), timed for week 2 of the patient's cycle or after suspending hormonal therapy 1."
Expected headings
"Radiographic appearance"
"MRI"
"clumped: small aggregates of enhancement ("cobblestone" like) in various sizes and shapes, suggestive of ductal involvement; used in combination with focal, linear, segmental, or regional distribution"
"There are limited data supporting a probably benign assessment for certain types of non-mass enhancement (BI-RADS 3), which remains a matter of intuition for most radiologists 1. In one newer study, a linear distribution of non-mass enhancement"