CT and enhanced CT in diagnosis of gastrointestinal neuroendocrine carcinomas.
OBJECTIVE
To enhance diagnosis of gastrointestinal neuroendocrine carcinomas using CT and contrast-enhanced CT images.


METHODS
A total of 44 patients with gastrointestinal neuroendocrine carcinomas, as confirmed by clinical pathology and immunohistochemistry in the Sixth Affiliated People's Hospital of Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai China, were included in the study. CT and enhanced CT scanning were performed, and the resulting images were reviewed and analyzed.


RESULTS
Twenty-seven males and 17 females were enrolled. Gastrointestinal involvement included the following: 5 cases located in the middle or inferior segment of the esophagus; 5 in the gastric cardia, 15 in the body of stomach, 6 located in the gastric antrum; 5 located in the Vater papilla of the duodenum; and 8 located in the colon. Among the 44 cases 80%-90% of the lesions had homogeneous density. Totally 81.8% (36/44) cases demonstrated homogeneous enhancement in arterial phases, most of the cases (n = 33) moderately or obviously enhanced. Only 17.2% (8/44) cases appeared as heterogeneous enhancement. And 86.4% cases (n = 38) were further enhanced in the venous phase. The CT images also revealed some of the metastases. Some liver metastasis cases have obvious homogeneous enhancement.


CONCLUSIONS
CT and enhanced CT provide useful information regarding gastrointestinal neuroendocrine carcinomas' location, density, enhancement pattern, and some metastasis. These features are helpful to increase the diagnostic accuracy.
Shanghai Jiao Tong University Medical Imaging Institute, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, The Sixth Affiliated People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, No. 600, Yi Shan Road, Shanghai, 200233, China.
Dan
D
Wang
Guo-Bin
GB
Zhang
Lei
L
Yan
Xiao-Er
XE
Wei
Yu-Zhen
YZ
Zhang
Wen-Bin
WB
Li
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018278:Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007472:Iohexol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
D003287:Contrast Media; D007472:Iohexol; C038192:iopromide