title: Large posterior abdominal masses: computed tomographic localization.
abstract: Large posterior abdominal masses, particularly those in the right upper abdomen, may be difficult to localize correctly into the peritoneal or retroperitoneal compartments. The following signs were found to be reliable CT indicators of retroperitoneal location: obliteration of the perinephric fat outlining the psoas muscle; lateral displacement of the fat outlining the posterior right lobe of the liver; rotation of the intrahepatic portal veins to the left; anterior displacement of the inferior vena cava and renal veins; and anterior displacement of the ascending colon, descending duodenum, or pancreatic head.
mesh_terms: D000008:Abdominal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000303:Adrenal Cortex Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000306:Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003560:Cysts / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003974:Diatrizoate Meglumine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D010534:Peritoneal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012186:Retroperitoneal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D003974:Diatrizoate Meglumine