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MRI findings for primary fallopian tube cancer: correlation with pathological findings

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Japanese Journal of Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To clarify the MRI findings for primary fallopian tube cancer (PFTC).

Materials and methods

MRI findings for 11 patients who were pathologically diagnosed with PFTC at our institute were retrospectively reviewed. MRI findings (shape, appearance, signal intensity, ADC value, enhancement patterns, and location of the primary tumor, the morphologic appearance of the ipsilateral ovary, and intrauterine fluid collection) were evaluated and compared with pathological findings including histological subtype and PFTC location.

Results

On MRI, PFTCs with a tubal component (n = 8) exhibited a sausage-like shape in five cases and a nodular or irregular shape in three cases. PFTCs located at the fimbria (n = 3) presented a nodular shape. The PFTC was solid in nine cases (82%), and the solid portion showed high intensity on diffusion-weighted images in all cases. The mean ADC value was 0.86 × 10−3 mm2/s. Rim enhancement of the tumor was seen in six of nine cases (67%), all with a tubal component.

Conclusion

PFTCs with a tubal component are sausage-shaped and PFTCs located at the fimbria have a nodular shape. Rim enhancement is frequently seen in PFTCs with a tubal component, which may suggest a tubal origin.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the radiology technicians at our institute, especially Mr. Keiji Noguchi, for their work to obtain precise MR images. The authors would also like to thank the staff of FORTE Science Communications (Tokyo, Japan) (https://www.forte-science.co.jp/) for their English language editing of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-25-8 Nishi-shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 158-0001, Japan

    Satomi Kitai, Takako Kiyokawa, Yumiko O. Tanaka, Kaoru Onoue, Hiroyuki Takahashi, Motoaki Saitou, Aikou Okamoto & Kunihiko Fukuda

Authors
  1. Satomi Kitai
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  2. Takako Kiyokawa
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  3. Yumiko O. Tanaka
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  4. Kaoru Onoue
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  5. Hiroyuki Takahashi
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  6. Motoaki Saitou
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  7. Aikou Okamoto
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  8. Kunihiko Fukuda
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Satomi Kitai.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical statement

This retrospective study was approved by our Institutional Review Board, and informed consent was waived.

Funding

This paper has not been funded.

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Kitai, S., Kiyokawa, T., Tanaka, Y.O. et al. MRI findings for primary fallopian tube cancer: correlation with pathological findings. Jpn J Radiol 36, 134–141 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11604-017-0705-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11604-017-0705-0

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