Although X-Ray Mammography remains the primary imaging modality in the evaluation of breast disease, the mammogram can at times be inconclusive for the presence or location of an abnormality. MR imaging has been used as an adjunct to mammography, particularly for patients with equivocal mammographic findings.

The main advantage of breast MR imaging is its high sensitivity, with reported sensitivities for cancer ranging from 91% to 100% with varying specificity. Multiple investigators have shown that MR mammographymay be useful to verify multifocality and multicentricity of breast cancer, differentiate scars from recurrences after breast-conserving therapy, screen high-risk groups who have a family history of breast cancer, investigate breast implants, examine breasts in cases of histologically proven breast cancer, metastasis with unknown primary.