Imaging of primary malignant tumors of peritoneal and retroperitoneal origin
Friday, August 1st, 2008.
Cancer Treatment and Research. 2008;143:281-97. [Link]
Hinshaw JL, Pickhardt PJ.
Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, WI, 53792, USA.
Abstract
Peritoneal carcinomatosis and metastatic involvement of the retroperitoneum are relatively common manifestations of many organ-based malignancies and lymphoproliferative disorders. Primary malignancies of peritoneal and retroperitoneal origin occur much less frequently, and can be difficult to distinguish from metastatic disease. In many cases, a precise diagnosis based on imaging findings alone is not possible. However, the imaging features of these primary tumors, in combination with the clinical and demographic data, can be utilized to narrow the scope of the differential diagnosis. This chapter will present the clinical and imaging features of primary peritoneal and retroperitoneal tumors arising from the various tissue components that comprise the ligaments, mesenteries and connective tissues of these anatomic spaces.
Glossary
- imaging
- any method used to produce a picture of internal body structures. Some imaging methods used to detect cancer are x-rays (including mammograms and CT scans), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), scintigraphy, and ultrasound.
- diagnosis
- identifying a disease by its signs or symptoms, and by using imaging procedures and laboratory findings. The earlier a diagnosis of cancer is made, the better the chance for long-term survival.
- cancer
- malignancy; a group of diseases typified by abnormal, generally out-of-control, cell growth.
- tissue
- a collection of cells, united to perform a particular function.
- peritoneal
- (pair-uh-tuh-nee-al) the serous membrane that lines the cavity of the abdomen. (More on Peritoneal Mesothelioma.)
