: magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been increasingly used to study breast cancer for screening high-risk cases, pre-operative staging, and problem-solving because of its high sensitivity. However, its cost-effectiveness is still debated. Thus, the concept of abbreviated MRI (ABB-MRI) protocols was proposed as a possible solution for reducing MRI costs. : to investigate the role of the abbreviated MRI protocols in detecting and staging breast cancer. : a systematic search of the literature was carried out in the bibliographic databases: Scopus, PubMed, Medline, and Science Direct. : forty-one articles were included, which described results of the assessment of fifty-three abbreviated protocols for screening, staging, recurrence assessing, and problem-solving or clarification. : the use of ABB-MRI protocols allows reducing the acquisition and reading times, maintaining a high concordance with the final interpretation, in comparison to a complete protocol. However, larger prospective and multicentre trials are necessary to validate the performance in specific clinical environments.