Computed tomography of iliopsoas involvement in uterine cervix cancer

Uterine cervix carcinomas spread by direct local extension, lymphatic permeation and hematogenous dissemination. Their metastatic foci are closely related to iliopsoas compartment anatomically no matter what the pattern of spread is. Therefore, iliopsoas involvement in uterine cervix cancer may occur frequently. The authors reviewed pelvis CT of 218 cervix cancer patients for recent one year from March 1986 to February 1987 at Seoul National University Hospital. Among them, 10 cases showed iliopsoas involvement. Pattern of iliopsoas involvement was classified into four types: infiltrative type (three cases), localized mass type (three cases), mass with bone destruction type (two cases), paraaortic lymphadenopathy type (two cases). In all cases except 3 cases of infiltrative type, lymphadenopathy or bone metastasis adjacent to iliopsoas lesion was identified. And this finding suggested that the route of iliopsoas involvement in cervix cancer would be secondary infiltration from metastatic focus of adjacent lymph node or bone. Recognition of iliopsoas involvement of cervix caner may prevent misdiagnosis and predict the degree of disease dissemination