Superiority of IV bolus CT in evaluation of metastatic lymphadenopathy in th stomach cancer

Abstract

Differentiation of lymph node from vessels or bowel wall with similar clearity is often difficult in con ventional contrast-enh anced computed tomography (CCCT). For optimal differentiation of these structures , arterial-phase dominent CT images by IV bolu s injection and rapid scan were obtained. T he images were compared from those by CCCT in evaluation of lymphadenopath y Seventy patients, d iagnosed as stomach cancer by pathology,' were selected for thi s study. Th ere were 14 cases of equivocal lymphadenopath y on CCCT while IV bolus CT revealed lymphad enopathy in 9 o[ there and no lymphadenopathy in the rest. Among the 38 cores without lymphadenopathy on CCCT , IV bolu s CT detected 4 lymph adenopath yIn 30 node dissection cases , when we decided 1cm as CT criterion for lymphatic enlargem ent , the sensitivity and the specificity that there were lymphatic enla rgement in gross of lymphatic infiltration above one fourth in pathology even th ough no lymphat ic enlargement in gross were 100 % . On conclusion , IV bolu s CT is more helpful method to evaluate lymphadenopathy than CCCT and compatible with pathologic findings when we decide 1cm as CT criterion [or lymphadenopathy.In conclu sion , IV bolus CT is superior to CCCT in evaluation of metastatic L ymphadenopathy when using CT Criferion of 1cm as the diameter of enlarged lymph node.Index Words: Lymph node , Metastatic disease fro m gastro intesti nal system , 99 .832 Stomach, neoplasm , CT, 72.323 .1 2 11 서 론