Gastrointestinal Tract Flashcards
Neoplasic GI wall thickening characteristics
- 1-2 cm thickness.
- Asymmetric.
- Nodular.
- Lobulated.
- Spiculated contour.
Benign wall thickening characteristics
- > 3 mm (does not exceed 10 mm).
- Homogeneous attenuation.
- Circumferential.
- Symetric.
- Segmental.
- Double halo and target sign.
Indications for CT enterography
- Crohn disease.
- Inflammatory bowel disease.
- Intermitent small-bowel obstruction.
- Obscure GI bleeding.
- Small bowel tumor suspicion.
CT enteroclysis use
To determine in patients with small bowel obstruction the level and cause of obstruction.
Esophageal carcinoma
- 90% are squamous cell carcinoma.
- 10% are adenocarcinomas arising in Barret esophagus in the distal esophagus.
- CT findings: Irregular thickening >3 mm, intraluminal polypoid mass, eccentric narrowing of the lumen, proximal dilation, invasion: trachea and bronchi, aorta, etc. metastases to lymphnodes and liver.
Esophageal Mesenchymal Tumors
- Leiomyoma
- GIST
Esophagus leiomyoma
- The most common benign tumor of the esophagus.
- CT: Smooth, well-defined, 2-8 cm, homogeneous, soft-tissue attenuation, esophageal wall eccentrically thickened and lumen is deformed.
- Multiple 4% of cases.
- The only tumors (rarely GIST) that have calcifications.
- May have malignant potential.
- GIST is more heterogeneous and avid for PET CT FDG.
Esophagitis
- Causes: RGE, corrosive ingestion, long-term intubation, radiation, infection (candida, herpes, CMV, mycobacterium TBC).
- CT findings: Long segment of circumferential symmetric wall thickening >5 mm, target sign and strictures.
- Complications: Deep ulcers, perforation, mediastinitis, abscess.
Esophageal injury and perforation
- Causes: Iatrogenic, traumatic, neoplasm, inflammation.
- CT findings: Wall thickening, intramural hematoma, mediastinal inflammation, periesophageal fluid/contrast/air, pleural effusion.
Boerhaave syndrome
Spontaneous rupture of the esophagus associated with violent vomiting.
Hiatus hernia
- 95% are sliding hiatus hernia.
- Identified by recognition of gastric folds appearing above the esophageal hiatus
- Edges of esophageal hiatus separated >15 mm.
- Paraesophageal hernia: Fundus of stomach is above the hiatus adjacent to the distal esophagus.
- Variant: Coexistence of a sliding hiatal hernia and paraesophageal intrathoracic fundus.
Gastric volvulus generalities
- Abnormal gastric rotation associated with strangulation and obstruction.
- Organoaxial rotation: Stomach rotates arround it’s long axis.
- Mesenteroaxial rotation: Stomach rotates arround it’s short axis.
- Complete gastric obstruction >180° rotation.
- Emergency surgical repair is needed.
Thickened Gastric Wall
- With good technique, which includes agressive distention, >5 mm.
- Causes: Carcinoma, lymphoma, gastric inflammation (Crohn or peptic disease), peri gastric inflammation (pancreatitis) and radiation.
Gastritis
- Erosive gastritis: NSAIDS, OH, aspirin, radiation and ischemia.
- Non-erosive gastritis: HP infection.
- CT findings: Thickened gastric folds.
- Erosive gastritis: Mucosa enhances during arterial phase, causing a three-layer wall.
Emphysematous gastritis
- Rare life-threatening condition characterized by air within the thickened gastric wall.
- Invasion of gas producing bacteria: E. coli or S. aureus.
- Asociated with caustic ingestion or alcohol abuse.
- Gas may extend to the portal venous system.
Gastric Carcinoma
- 95% Adenocarcinoma
- RF: 50-70 years old, chronic atrophic gastritis, pernicious anemia, familial adenomatous polyposis and menetrier disease.
- Primary tumor: Focal, nodular, irregular thickening of the gastric wall or polypoid intraluminal mass
- Linitis plastica: Irregular wall thickening + narrowing of the lumen.
- Wall > 2 cm = invasion of tumor to the perigastric fat
- Lymphnodes are considered involved > 6 mm (celiac axis and in the gastro-hepatic ligament).
- Metastases: liver, lungs, adrenal glands, kidneys, bones and brain.
- Peritoneal carcinomatosis may occur.
Gastric carcinoma recurrence locations (3)
- Local: focal wall thickening at the anastomosis or remaining stomach.
- Nodal: Course of hepatic artery or para-aortic region.
- Peritoneal: Douglas pouch, parietal peritoneal surfaces or on the surface of the bowel.
Gastric Lymphoma
- Stomach is the most common location of primary GI lymphoma.
- 90-95% Non-Hodgkin lymphoma of B-cell origin.
- May cause: polypoid mass, diffuse wall infiltration with featureless walls or markedly thickened walls with nodular thickened folds.
Gastric Lymphoma vs Carcinoma
- Favors lymphoma: >30 mm wall thickness, involvement of more than one region of the GI tract, transpyloric spread of tumor (30% of cases), and more widespread adenopathy above and below the renal hilium, no lumen narrowing.
Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors
- Most arise from the muscularis propia of the GI tract.
- > 40 years old
- Clinic: GI bleeding from mucosal ulceration.
- Other: Omentum, mesentery and retroperitoneum.
- 10-30% are malignant. Higher risk of malignany if >5 cm or if outside the stomach.
- 50% have ulceration of the luminal surface.
- Cystic degeneration, hemorrage and necrosis are common.
- Contrast enhancement is seen on the viable tumor, mostly on the periphery.
- Metastases: Liver and peritoneal cavity.
GIST vs True Leiomyomas and Leiomyosarcomas
GIST have a tyrosine kinase growth factor called protein KIT (CD 117), which is tested by immunohistochemical stain.
Normal luminal diameter and wall thickness of the small bowell
<2,5 cm and <3 mm
Causes of bowel “target appearance” of mural enhancement
Benign process: Crohn disease, infection, angioedema, hemorrage or radiation enteritis.
Small bowel mild wall thickening
- 3-4 mm
- Causes: hypoalbuminemia, infectious enteritis, mild crohn disease.
Small bowel moderate wall thickening
- 5-9 mm
- Causes: Ischemia caused by mesenteric vein thrombosis, intramural hemorrage, vasculitis, radiation, moderate crohn disease.
Small bowel severe wall thickening
- > 10 mm
- Causes: Lymphoma, neoplasms, vasculitis and intramural hemorrage
- > 20 mm is almost always neoplasm.
Small bowel Neoplasms types (6)
- Lymphomas.
- Carcinoid.
- Adenocarcinoma.
- GIST.
- Metastases.
- Multiple small-bowel polyps.
Small bowel Lymphoma
- Single or multiple, focal or diffuse nodular wall thickening (usually simetric), large (9 cm), soft-tissue mass.
- 50% associated with retroperitoneal adenopathy.
Carcinoid (neuroendocrine)
- 50% appendix, 20% small bowel.
- Second most common small bowel malignancy.
- All tumors can metastasize, considered malignant.
- CT: Brightly enhancing mass, agressive if >2 cm, necrosis, ulceration.
- Tumor invasion of the bowel wall induces a dramatic fibrosing reaction in the mesentery
- Carcinoid syndrome: Cutaneous flush and diarrhea by release of vascoactive amines by the tumor. Only occurs with hepatic metastases.
- Metastases are hypervascular.