Recognizing patient-related artefacts in MRI of the breasts: principles, imaging appearance, and solutions to minimize them

Abstract Breast MRI has emerged as an increasingly important tool in evaluating breast pathologies including detection and assessment of cancers, evaluation of implant integrity and as a problem-solving tool for inconclusive conventional breast imaging findings. MRI artefacts encountered during image interpretation may create diagnostic dilemmas. Many of these artefacts are patient-related and can be avoidable. Identification of these artefacts can be challenging in daily practice in particular to trainees or inexperienced radiologists. This article illustrates the principles and imaging appearance of the common patient-related artefacts in breast MRI, with discussion on how to minimize them. They include positioning-related artefacts, inhomogeneous fat suppression, susceptibility artefacts including those associated with the newly emerged non-radioactive wireless localization devices and superparamagnetic lymphatic tracer, as well as motion artefacts. Familiarization with these 4 major types of artefacts by radiologists is crucial in troubleshooting and achieving accurate image interpretation.