Figure 1.
Diagrammatic representation of axillary lymph node levels.
Lymph nodes were classified as Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 based on anatomic location. Level I: latissimus dorsi to lateral pectoralis minor; level II: posterior to pectoralis minor; level III: medial pectoralis minor to thoracic inlet.
Figure 2.
MRL images of breast lymph nodes at different levels.
(A) (coronal plane) and (B) (transversal plane) show typical MRL images illustrating breast lymph node enhancement at different nodal levels. Arrowhead: Level 1 axillary lymph nodes. Arrows: Level 2 axillary lymph nodes.
Figure 3.
MRL images of breast lymph nodes at different levels.
A typical MRL image shows enhancing breast lymph nodes at different nodal levels. Arrowhead: Level 1 lymph nodes. Arrow: Level 3 lymph nodes.
Figure 4.
Axillary lymph nodes contrast-uptake kinetics of the four patient groups.
Graph of enhancement profile over time as determined with signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) measurements in the axillary lymph node shows a different contrast -uptake kinetics of the four patient groups. ANOVA test results show that the SNR (at the maximum enhancement height) of the lymph nodes in group 1, 2 and 4 was significantly higher than that in group 3 (SNR: F ratio=17.613, p<0.001), though there was no significant difference between groups 1, 2 and 4. Error bars represent standard errors of the mean.
Figure 5.
MRL images of breast normally-sized metastatic lymph nodes.
Example of normally-sized metastatic lymph nodes with an abnormal nodal enhancement pattern and lymphatic vasculature. Arrowheads: enhancement defects within non-enlarged lymph nodes. Long arrows: lymphatic vessels. Short arrows: veins.
Figure 6.
MRL of enlarged metastatic lymph nodes.
Arrowhead: Irregular enlarged lymph nodes with enhancement (or contrast filling) defect pattern. Long thin arrows: enhancing and dilated lymphatic vessels. Short fat arrow: enhancing normal lymphatic vessels with a beaded appearance. Short arrows: vein. Hollow arrows: injection sites.