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Extracolonic Tumors of the Gastrointestinal Tract Detected Incidentally at Screening CT Colonography

  • Published:
Diseases of the Colon & Rectum

Purpose

The aim of this article is to report our experience with incidental detection of extracolonic tumors of the gastrointestinal tract identified prospectively at screening CT colonography.

Methods

A total of 2014 patients (1097 females, 917 males; mean age, 56.9 years) underwent primary CT colonography evaluation at our institution over an 18-month period. Following cathartic preparation and colonic distention, supine and prone multidetector CT scans were obtained with thin-collimation low-dose technique without intravenous contrast. We reviewed our database for lesions of the extracolonic gastrointestinal tract that were detected during the prospective reading.

Results

Focal extracolonic gastrointestinal tract lesions were prospectively detected in 10 (0.5 percent) of 2014 patients (8 females; 2 males; mean age, 58.5 years). All patients were asymptomatic. Tumor locations included ileum (n = 3), stomach (n = 3), jejunum (n = 2), and appendix (n = 2). Mean tumor size was 2.2 (range, 0.8–3.4) cm. Lesions in eight patients were subsequently confirmed by conventional or capsule endoscopy and/or by intravenous contrast-enhanced CT. Seven lesions were surgically excised and one was removed at endoscopy; two patients with lipomas did not undergo further evaluation or treatment. Final diagnoses were benign in all cases and included lipoma (n = 3), small-bowel hamartoma (n = 2), appendiceal mucinous cystadenoma (n = 2), gastric leiomyoma (n = 1), small-bowel lymphangioma (n = 1), and gastric fundic gland polyp (n = 1).

Conclusions

Incidental extracolonic tumors of the gastrointestinal tract detected at screening CT colonography were all asymptomatic and benign but often prompted more invasive workup. Although the incidence of these tumors was relatively low, widespread population screening with CT colonography would result in new surgical referrals for these findings.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin Medical School, E3/311 Clinical Science Center, 600 Highland Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin, 53792-3252, USA

    Perry J. Pickhardt M.D., David H. Kim M.D. & Andrew J. Taylor M.D.

  2. Section of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, Wisconsin, USA

    Deepak V. Gopal M.D.

  3. Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, Wisconsin, USA

    Sharon M. Weber M.D. & Charles P. Heise M.D.

Authors
  1. Perry J. Pickhardt M.D.
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  2. David H. Kim M.D.
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  3. Andrew J. Taylor M.D.
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  4. Deepak V. Gopal M.D.
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  5. Sharon M. Weber M.D.
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  6. Charles P. Heise M.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Perry J. Pickhardt M.D..

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Cite this article

Pickhardt, P.J., Kim, D.H., Taylor, A.J. et al. Extracolonic Tumors of the Gastrointestinal Tract Detected Incidentally at Screening CT Colonography. Dis Colon Rectum 50, 56–63 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10350-006-0806-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10350-006-0806-9

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