CT features of gastric schwannoma

Objective: To assess the CT features of gastric schwannoma. Methods: The clinical records and CT scans of 5 patients (2 men, 3 women; age range: 36-55 years) with histologically confirmed gastric schwannomas were reviewed. The patients underwent CT examination in the unenhanced (5 patients), arterial (5), venous (4) and equilibrium (4) phases. Results: All of the gastric schwannomas were located along the greater curvature in the gastric body (3), cardia (1) or antrum (1). The tumors were well-defined oval homogenous masses with endophytic (1), exophytic (2) or both endophytic and exophytic (2) growth patterns. Gastric surface ulcers were found in two of the tumors. None of the patients had peri-gastric lymph node metastasis or extra-gastric invasion. The tumors manifested progressive contrast enhancement with average CT densities of 50.25, 68.00 and 81.67 HU in the arterial, venous and equilibrium phases, respectively. Conclusion: Gastric schwannoma has characteristic tri-phasic contrast enhancement pattern, which may aid its diagnosis. (authors)