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Review
. 2025 Apr 2;15(4):142.
doi: 10.3390/jpm15040142.

Ultrafast Breast MRI: A Narrative Review

Ottavia Battaglia  1 , Filippo Pesapane  1 , Silvia Penco  1 , Giulia Signorelli  1 , Valeria Dominelli  1 , Luca Nicosia  1 , Anna Carla Bozzini  1 , Anna Rotili  1 , Enrico Cassano  1
Affiliations
Review

Ultrafast Breast MRI: A Narrative Review

Ottavia Battaglia et al. J Pers Med. .

Abstract

Breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is considered the most effective method for detecting breast cancer due to its high sensitivity. Yet multiple factors limit its widespread use, including high direct and indirect costs, a prolonged acquisition time with consequent patient discomfort, and a lack of trained radiologists. During the last decade, new strategies have been followed to increase the availability of breast MRI, including the omission of non-essential sequences to generate abbreviated MRI protocols (AB-MRIs) aimed at reducing the acquisition time with the potential of improving the patient's experience and accommodating a higher number of MRI examinations per day. An alternative method is ultrafast MRI (UF-MRI), a novel technique that gathers kinetic data within the first minute after contrast injection, offering high temporal resolution. This enables the analysis of early contrast wash-in curves, showing promising outcomes. In this study, we reviewed the role of UF-MRI in breast imaging and detailed how the integration of this new approach with radiomics and mathematical models might further improve diagnostic accuracy and even have a prognostic role, a fundamental characteristic in the modern scenarios of personalized medicine. In addition, possible clinical applications and advantages of UF-MRI will be discussed.

Keywords: breast MRI; breast cancer; magnetic resonance imaging; ultrafast breast MRI.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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