Suggested Protocol for Efficient Medical Image Information Exchange in Korea: Breast MRI

• Main Authors: Ji Hee Park, Seon-Hyeong Choi, Sungjun Kim, Hwan Seok Yong, Hyunsik Woo, Kwang Nam Jin, Woo Kyoung Jeong, Na-Young Shin, Moon Hyung Choi, Seung Eun Jung
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Korean Society of Radiology 2018-11-01
• Series: 대한영상의학회지
• Subjects: breast; magnetic resonance imaging; reference standards
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3348/jksr.2018.79.5.254

Purpose Establishment of an appropriate protocol for breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the study of image quality standards to enhance the effectiveness of medical image information exchange, which is part of the construction and activation of clinical information exchange for healthcare informatization. Materials and Methods The recommended protocols of breast and MRI scans were reviewed and the questionnaire was prepared by a responsible researcher. Then, a panel of 9 breast dedicated radiologists was set up in Korea. The expert panel conducted a total of three Delphi agreements to draw up a consensus on the breast MRI protocol. Results The agreed breast MRI recommendation protocol is a 1.5 Tesla or higher device that acquires images with prone position using a breast dedicated coil and includes T2-weighted and pre-contrast T1-weighted images. Contrast enhancement images are acquired at least two times, and include 60–120 seconds between images and after 4 minutes. The contrast enhancement T1-weighted image should be less than 3 mm in thickness, less than 120 seconds in temporal resolution, and less than 1.5 mm2 in-plane pixel resolution. Conclusion The Delphi agreement of the domestic breast imaging specialist group has established the recommendation protocol of the effective breast MRI.