Articles Vol. 67 No. 9 25/09/2026

IMAGING CHARACTERISTICS OF AXILLARY LYMPH NODE ON BREAST MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING IN WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER AT K HOSPITAL

Le Thi Thu, Nguyen VAn Thi, Doan Tien Luu
DOI: 10.52163/yhc.v67i9.6662
0 Views
0 Downloads
Abstract

Objective: To describe the magnetic resonance imaging features of axillary lymph nodes on 1.5 Tesla breast magnetic resonance imaging in women with invasive breast cancer.

Subjects and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study included 227 women with 229 invasive breast cancers who underwent preoperative 1.5 Tesla breast magnetic resonance imaging and subsequent axillary lymph node histopathological evaluation at National Cancer Hospital, campus 3 between March 2024 and January 2025. Axillary lymph node characteristics were analyzed on magnetic resonance imaging and correlated with pathological findings.

Results: The prevalence of axillary lymph node metastasis was 29.3%. Metastatic lymph nodes demonstrated significantly larger short-axis and long-axis diameters, higher short-to-long axis ratios, and greater cortical thickness compared with non-metastatic nodes (p < 0.05). In addition, metastatic nodes more frequently exhibited irregular margins, loss of fatty hilum, and diffusion restriction on DWI/ADC sequences than non-metastatic nodes (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Breast magnetic resonance imaging is a valuable tool for the preoperative assessment of axillary lymph node metastasis in patients with invasive breast cancer.

Keywords
Breast magnetic resonance imaging, axillary lymph node metastasis, invasive breast cancer.
References
[1]
[1] Howlader N, Noone A.M, Krapcho M et al. Table 4.13: Cancer of the female breast (invasive): 5-year relative and period survival by race, diagnosis year, age and stage at diagnosis. In: SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2016. National Cancer Institute, 2019. Accessed September 18, 2026. https://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2016/ Google Scholar
[2]
[2] Lesnik D, Cunnane M.E, Zurakowski D et al. Papillary thyroid carcinoma nodal surgery directed by a preoperative radiographic map utilizing CT scan and ultrasound in all primary and reoperative patients. Head Neck, 2014, 36 (2): 191-202. doi: 10.1002/hed.23277. Google Scholar
[3]
[3] Turan U, Aygun M, Duman B.B et al. Efficacy of US, MRI, and F-18 FDG-PET/CT for detecting axillary lymph node metastasis after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients. Diagnostics, 2021, 11 (12): 2361. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics11122361 Google Scholar
[4]
[4] Zhou P, Wei Y, Chen G, Guo L, Yan D, Wang Y. Axillary lymph node metastasis detection by magnetic resonance imaging in patients with breast cancer: a meta-analysis. Thorac Cancer, 2018, 9 (8): 989-996. doi: 10.1111/1759-7714.12774 Google Scholar
[5]
[5] Phạm Hồng Khoa và cộng sự. Đối chiếu kết quả siêu âm hạch nách với kết quả giải phẫu bệnh sau mổ trong phẫu thuật ung thư vú tại Bệnh viện K. Tạp chí Y học Việt Nam, 2024, 535 (2): 38-43. doi: 10.51298/vmj.v535i2.8473 Google Scholar
[6]
[6] Ou X, Zhu J, Qu Y et al. Imaging features of sentinel lymph node mapped by multidetector-row computed tomography lymphography in predicting axillary lymph node metastasis. BMC Med Imaging, 2021, 21 (1): 193. doi: 10.1186/s12880-021-00722-0 Google Scholar
[7]
[7] Kim K.E, Kim S.Y, Ko E.Y. MRI findings suggestive of metastatic axillary lymph nodes in patients with invasive breast cancer. Taehan Yongsang Uihakhoe Chi, 2022, 83 (3): 620-631. doi: 10.3348/jksr.2021.0097 Google Scholar
[8]
[8] Zaiton F, Shehata S.M, Abo Warda M.H, Alekrashy M.A. Diagnostic value of MRI for predicting axillary lymph nodes metastasis in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients: diffusion-weighted MRI. Egypt J Radiol Nucl Med, 2016, 47 (2): 659-667. doi: 10.1016/j.ejrnm.2016.03.008 Google Scholar