Amount of Fibroglandular Tissue on MRI

IMAGING FINDINGS: ​

​Four selected axial non-fat saturated T1-weighted images, from four different patients, reveal the differences in fibroglandular tissue. 

• A.  Almost entirely fat 
• B. Scattered fibroglandular tissue 
• C. Heterogenous fibroglandular tissue 
• D. Extreme fibroglandular tissue

WHY IT MATTERS:

1. When dictating a breast MRI, the BI-RADS classification system delineates four categories to describe the amount of fibroglandular tissue within the breast.
2. The amount of fibroglandular tissue on a breast MRI corresponds to the breast density as determined by mammography.
3. The amount of fibroglandular tissue on a breast MRI does not correspond to the amount of background parenchymal enhancement after contrast administration. For example, Extreme fibroglandular tissue may have minimal background parenchymal enhancement.

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​​FURTHER READING:
ACR BI-RADS® Atlas Fifth Edition