Computed tomographic characteristics for patients with unresectable gastric cancer harboring low-volume peritoneal carcinomatosis

Although current staging workups could differentiate most patients with operable from inoperable advanced gastric cancers, there are still some patients with low-volume peritoneal carcinomatosis, defined as only metastasis with multiple subcentimeter lesions in peritoneum, receiving unnecessary open–close procedures. The computed tomography (CT) of the patients with unresectable advanced gastric cancer harboring low-volume peritoneal carcinomatosis was retrospectively identified and then thoroughly reviewed by two independent radiologists unaware of the peritoneal carcinomatosis status. Of the 798 patients with newly diagnosed gastric cancer between January 2007 and December 2010, 52 patients harboring advanced gastric cancer with low-volume peritoneal carcinomatosis receiving surgery with curative intent were identified. Descriptive statistic was used for the radiologic characteristics. The most common radiologic characteristic of CT was omental fat stranding (57.7%), followed by omental clustered subcentimeter nodules (53.8%), distant enlarged lymph node (40.4%), distant grouping of small lymph nodes (36.5%), peritoneal nodules or thickening (34.6%), minimal loculated ascites (21.2%), intestinal wall thickening or irregularity (9.6%), and hydronephrosis or hydroureter without stone or urothelial lesion (5.8%). Comprehensively reviewing the radiologic characteristics of CT may identify the patients harboring advanced gastric cancer with low-volume peritoneal carcinomatosis.