| Theme |
GIST (gastrointestinal stromal tumor) |
| Title |
Diagnostic Imaging of GIST |
| Author |
Kazuhito Uozumi |
Division of Radiology and Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo University |
| Author |
Kuni Ohtomo |
Department of Radiology, Tokyo University |
| [ Summary ] |
Gastrointestinal storomal tumors (GISTs) most commonly occur in the stomach. GISTs usually form well-circumscribed, smooth-marginated tumors. Exophytic growth patterns are common. The origins of some tumors are difficult to determine due to small connections to the stomach or intestine. Larger tumors become inhomogeneous due to hemorrhage and necrosis. Larger tumor size and metastasis suggest malignancy. Liver metastasis and peritoneal dissemination are common and lymphnode metastasis is rare. The pattern of metastatic spread of GIST is characteristic and is helpful in diagnosis. After imatinib treatment, liver metastasis can become lower attenuated on CT images, which suggests the treatment is effective. Judging treatment effects only by tumor size leads to underestimation. |