ABSTRACT
Magnetic resonance imaging of the breast (breast MRI) is most commonly used to investigate women with either known breast tumours (for loco-regional staging or recurrence), women with breast prostheses (for leakage and for the detection of tumours) and women at high risk of a first or second breast cancer. If images are to be interpreted correctly, it must be on the basis of a clear understanding of the variations in the appearances and enhancement characteristics of the normal, asymptomatic breast. This is particularly important when imaging young women with hormonally active breasts. One particularly important potential use of breast MRI is to screen women who are at high genetic risk for breast cancer (Chapter 19). These women will be relatively young at the time of screening.
