Brief Reports
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2005. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Aug 7, 2005; 11(29): 4592-4595
Published online Aug 7, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i29.4592
Evaluation of contrast-enhanced helical hydro-CT in staging gastric cancer
Wen-Zhou Wei, Jie-Ping Yu, Jun Li, Chang-Sheng Liu, Xiao-Hua Zheng
Wen-Zhou Wei, Chang-Sheng Liu, Xiao-Hua Zheng, Department of Radiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, Hubei Province, China
Jie-Ping Yu, Department of Gastroenterology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, Hubei Province, China
Jun Li, Department of Stomotology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, Hubei Province, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Assistant Professor Wen-Zhou Wei, Department of Radiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, Hubei Province, China. weiwenzhou8@msn.com
Telephone: +86-27-88041911-8290
Received: August 18, 2004
Revised: December 15, 2004
Accepted: December 21, 2004
Published online: August 7, 2005
Abstract

AIM: To discuss the helical computed tomography (CT) characteristics of gastric cancer and evaluate the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced helical hydro-CT (HHCT) in staging gastric cancer.

METHODS: A total of 50 patients with gastric cancer were included in this study. The CT findings in them were retros-pectively analyzed and correlated with pathologic findings at surgery. All patients were preoperatively imaged by plain and contrast-enhanced helical CT after orally ingesting 1 000-1 500 mL water. Peristalsis was minimized by intra-venous administration of spasmolytics.

RESULTS: The foci of gastric cancer became more prominent in all the 50 patients and showed strong enhancement in contrast-enhanced HHCT. The tumor was located at the gastric cardia in 14 cases, at the gastric fundus in 3 cases, at the gastric body in 8 cases, at the gastric antrum in 4 cases, at the gastric fundus and the body in 8 cases, at the gastric body and antrum in 11 cases, and at three segments of the stomach in 2 cases. The CT features of gastric cancer were focal or diffuse mural thickening, soft tissue mass, cancerous ulcer, stenosis of stomach, infiltration to adjacent tissues, lymph node and distant metastases. Strong contrast enhancement of the gastric wall was closely related to gastric cancer. The accuracy rate of contrast-enhanced HHCT in staging gastric cancer was 86% (43/50). The detection rate of lymph node metastases by CT was 60% (12/20).

CONCLUSION: Contrast-enhanced HHCT is a reliable method to diagnose and stage gastric cancer.

Keywords: Stomach; Neoplasm; Tomography; X-ray; Staging