Computed tomographic findings of the gastrointestinal lymphoma

Although conventional barium study has been used for diagnosis of gastrointestinal lymphoma, CT is superior to barium study in the evaluation of its extent and relationship to the bowel, lymph node enlargement, and distant metastasis. The authors analyzed CT features of 21 cases of pathologically proven gastrointestinal lymphoma for recent 5 years. The results were as follows: 1. In a total 21 cases of gastrointestinal lymphomas, 13 cases were primary gastrointestinal lymphoma and others were secondary. But there was no difference in CT features between them. 2. Male predominates over female (17:4), and the age ranged from 5 to 73 years old, most common - in between 4th and 7th decades. 3. The most frequent histologic type of gastrointestinal lymphoma was histiocytic type (9 cases; 43%), followed by lymphocytic type (5 cases; 24%), mixed type (3 cases; 14%), Hodgkin's disease (2 cases; 10%), and unclassified (2 cases; 10%), in order of frequency. 4. The most common site of bowel involvement was small bowel (7 cases; 33%), followed by colon (5 cases; 24%), stomach (4 cases; 19%), ileocecal (3 cases; 14%), and multifocal (2 cases; 10%). 5. The most common chief complaint was abdominal pain (12 cases; 52%), followed by palpable abdominal mass (10 cases; 48%), general weakness (5 cases; 24%), weight loss (3 cases; 14%), and fever (1 case; 5%). 6. Typical CT features of the gastrointestinal lymphoma were diffuse or focal thickening of bowel wall and/or homogeneous, sommthly lubulated intraluminal, submucosal, or extraluminal mass, accompanied by regional and/or widespread lymphadenopathy with frequent involvement of mesentery and omentum. 7. CT is useful in diagnosis of gastrointestinal lymphoma, and helps to evaluate accurate stage and detect a complication. Also CT plays an important role in decision of therapeutic method for gastrointestinal lymphoma.