HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 2232010905v1 223/2/540    most recent Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Park, M.-S. Articles by Kim, K. W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Park, M.-S. Articles by Kim, K. W.

Mucinous versus Nonmucinous Gastric Carcinoma: Differentiation with Helical CT¹

¹ From the Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Research Institute of Radiological Science (M.S.P., J.S.Y., M.J.K., S.W.Y., K.H.L., J.T.L., H.S.Y., K.W.K.) and the Department of Pathology (S.H.K., T.W.N.), Yonsei Univ College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. Received May 10, 2001; revision requested Jun 15; revision received Aug 15; accepted Oct 8. Address correspondence to K.W.K., Department of Radiology, YongDong Severance Hosp, 146-92 Dokok-Dong, Kangnam-Ku, Seoul 135-270, South Korea (e-mail: kwkimYD@yumc.yonsei.ac.kr).

PURPOSE: To assess the capability of helical computed tomography (CT) to assist in the differentiation between mucinous and nonmucinous gastric carcinomas, with a focus on the thickened stomach wall itself.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 62 patients with pathologically proved mucinous (n = 21) or nonmucinous (n = 41) gastric carcinomas, contrast material–enhanced helical CT images were obtained. The gross appearance, contrast enhancement pattern, predominant thickened layer, and degree of enhancement were retrospectively evaluated. Statistical analyses were performed with Fisher exact, ², and Student t tests. A P value of less than .05 was considered to indicate a statistically significant difference.

RESULTS: The most common type of gross appearance in both carcinomas was fungating: It occurred in 71% of patients with mucinous carcinomas and in 59% of patients with nonmucinous carcinomas. The next most common gross appearance type was ulcerative (24% of patients) in nonmucinous carcinomas and diffusely infiltrative (29% of patients) in mucinous carcinomas (P = .009). The most common contrast enhancement pattern was homogeneous (61% of patients) in nonmucinous carcinomas and layered (62% of patients) in mucinous carcinomas (P = .001). These findings were significantly different. The predominantly affected thickened layer was the high-attenuating inner layer or the entire layer (88% of patients) in nonmucinous carcinomas and the low-attenuating middle or outer layer (57% of patients) in mucinous carcinomas. Only two mucinous tumors showed miliary punctate calcifications in infiltrative lesions.

CONCLUSION: Helical CT may assist in distinguishing mucinous from nonmucinous gastric carcinoma, primarily on the basis of enhancement pattern, predominant layer of the thickened wall, gross appearance, and presence of calcifications.

© RSNA, 2002

Index terms: Computed tomography (CT), helical, 72.12112, 72.12114, 72.12115 • Stomach, CT, 72.12112, 72.12114, 72.12115 • Stomach, neoplasms, 72.321

This article has been cited by other articles:

				K. Shimizu, K. Ito, N. Matsunaga, A. Shimizu, and Y. Kawakami Diagnosis of Gastric Cancer with MDCT Using the Water-Filling Method and Multiplanar Reconstruction: CT-Histologic Correlation Am. J. Roentgenol., November 1, 2005; 185(5): 1152 - 1158. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M.-S. Park, H. K. Ha, B. S. Choi, K. W. Kim, S.-J. Myung, A. Y. Kim, T. K. Kim, P. N. Kim, N.-J. Lee, J. K. Lee, et al. Scirrhous Gastric Carcinoma: Endoscopy versus Upper Gastrointestinal Radiography Radiology, May 1, 2004; 231(2): 421 - 426. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]