| [ Summary ] |
The role of CT for diagnosis of upper gastrointestinal tract has been changing since the introduction of multidetector-row CT(MDCT). Three-dimensional(3D) CT of the upper gastrointestinal tract, so called virtual endoscopy, reconstructed with finer axial images, acquired with MDCT, have made it possible to demonstrate luminal images of gastric lesions very close to those produced by conventional endoscopy. Thus, with these images, we can assess the degree of tumor invasion into the gastric wall, as we have done with conventional endoscopy, and double contrast barium studies, by observing the margins of ulcers and converging folds. Moreover, multiplanar reconstructed images, using thinner axial images can assess tumor invasion more accurately than before and in some cases, it is possible to diagnose early gastric cancer two-dimensionally. A combination of three-dimensional and two-dimensional assessment of gastric cancer can lead to accurate diagnosis of tumor invasion. This has the potential for CT diagnosis of gastric cancer as one stop shopping in the diagnosis of gastric cancer. |