Published in:
01-06-2015
Gastric schwannoma: CT findings and clinicopathologic correlation
Published in: Abdominal Radiology | Issue 5/2015
Login to get accessAbstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the computed tomography (CT) imaging characteristics of gastric schwannoma.
Methods
Eight cases of gastric schwannomas confirmed by surgery and pathology were retrospectively analyzed by CT. We reviewed the CT findings of gastric schwannomas for the following characteristics: tumor location, size, contour, margin, growth pattern, enhancement pattern, the presence or absence of necrosis, and perigastric lymph nodes.
Results
The tumors were located in the lesser curvature of gastric body (n = 5) and greater curvature of the gastric antrum (n = 3) with a median size of 4.8 cm (range 1.7–11.4 cm). Gastric schwannomas appeared as submucosal tumors with CT features of ovoid (7/8 patients), well-defined (8/8) and exophytic (4/8) or mixed (3/8) growth patterns. On dynamic CT examination, the tumors displayed homogeneous enhancement in seven cases and heterogeneous enhancement in one case. Solid parts of eight tumors demonstrated mild enhancement during the arterial phase and strengthened progressive enhancement during the venous and delayed phases. Two cases had perigastric lymph nodes.
Conclusions
Gastric schwannomas typically manifested as ovoid, well-defined, exophytic, or mixed growth pattern masses on CT. Homogeneous progressive enhancement on dynamic CT is a characteristic finding of gastric schwannoma.