Hagar Mahmoud;
Yale New Haven Health/Bridgeport Hospital
Fatma Eldehimi;
The Ottawa Hospital
khaled Elsayes;
MD Anderson Cancer Center
Michele Even;
Yale New Haven Health/Bridgeport Hospital
Christine Menias;
Mayo Clinic
Margarita Revzin;
Yale University
Background
Although there are specific imaging features that allow diagnosis of various neoplastic conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, some nonneoplastic processes may have similar imaging findings and pose a challenge in accurate recognition and diagnosis of GI malignancies.
Educational Goals / Teaching Points
Briefly review gastrointestinal neoplasms and their characteristic imaging features. Discuss pathophysiology, clinical presentation and imaging features of great gastrointestinal cancer mimickers. Describe the role of further imaging work up and surveillance of great cancer mimickers in establishing accurate diagnosis and management. Provide an algorithm in the assessment of a patient with suspected gastrointestinal cancer.
Key Anatomic/Physiologic Issues and Imaging Findings/Techniques
Brief review of characteristic imaging features of gastrointestinal neoplasms using multimodality approach. Discuss factors which are contributing to the misinterpretation and misdiagnosis. Discuss pathophysiology, clinical presentation and imaging features of great gastrointestinal cancer mimickers. Inflammation and deposition (sarcoidosis, amyloidosis, inflammatory pseudotumor, Ig4 related sclerosing disease, gastritis). Infection (Actinomycosis, Nocardia, Tuberculosis, Disseminated fungal infection, Viral infections, Diverticulitis). Benign Fibrosing Disease (Sclerosing mesenteritis, Abdominal fibromatosis, retroperitoneal fibrosis). Mass-like conditions (Endometriosis, Fistulas, Post Radiation and Surgery Induced Changes). Role of CT, MRI, PET-CT and US in further imaging work up and surveillance of great cancer mimickers. Describe an algorithm in evaluation of suspected gastrointestinal neoplasms and mimickers.
Conclusion
Some nonneoplastic processes may have similar imaging findings and pose a challenge in accurate recognition and diagnosis of gastrointestinal malignancies. Radiologists should be familiar with the mimics of gastrointestinal cancers, to avoid pitfalls and misdiagnosis.
