Ground-Glass Enhancement on Contrast-Enhanced Mammography: A CT-Inspired Qualitative Descriptor for Breast Lesion Characterization

Background: This study introduces a new qualitative enhancement descriptor for contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM), termed Ground-Glass Enhancement (GGE). The objective was to categorize breast lesions using this descriptor and evaluate its association with malignancy and markers of tumor aggressiveness. Methods: In this single-center retrospective study, 249 patients with a single enhancing lesion on CEM were included. Lesions were classified into pure Ground-Glass Enhancement (PGGE), Heterogeneous Ground-Glass Enhancement (HGGE), or Opaque Enhancement (OE) based on the degree of obscuration of the underlying parenchyma. Clinical, imaging, and pathological features were compared across groups. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of malignancy. Results: Significant differences across enhancement patterns were found in lesion conspicuity, enhancement type, size, background enhancement, and patient age. OE lesions more frequently showed high conspicuity (83% vs. 62% in HGGE and 20% in PGGE) and a mass-like appearance (94% vs. 73% in HGGE and 81% in PGGE). HGGE lesions had the largest median size (25 mm, vs. 17 mm in OE and 13 mm in PGGE), and OE lesions most often exhibited minimal background enhancement (77%, vs. 50% in HGGE). In multivariable analysis, mass-like enhancement (OR = 4.59), larger size (OR = 1.27 per +5 mm), and high conspicuity (OR = 3.43) were independently associated with malignancy. Although GGE categories correlated with malignancy in univariable analysis, this was not confirmed in the adjusted model. OE lesions were significantly associated with higher Ki-67 expression (73% with Ki-67 >20%), indicating increased proliferative activity compared with PGGE (43%) and HGGE (57%). Conclusions: The GGE descriptor captures clinically relevant imaging features and may support visual stratification of breast lesions on CEM. While not an independent predictor of malignancy, it appears more closely related to markers of tumor aggressiveness.