Gastric hepatoid adenocarcinoma: CT findings

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In this study, we evaluated the CT findings of patients with hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the stomach. METHODS: The CT scans of eight patients (seven males and one female; age range 44-70 years; mean age 59 years) with histologically proven hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the stomach were retrospectively evaluated by two radiologists in consensus. Scans were evaluated for gastric wall thickening, involved site enhancement, adjacent organ invasion, lymphadenopathy, distant metastases, and venous tumor thrombosis. RESULTS: Tumors appeared as eccentric wall thickening (n = 8) and heterogeneous enhancement (n = 7). Adjacent organ invasions were noted to liver (n = 3), pancreas (n = 2), and esophagus (n = 1). All eight patients had a regional lymphadenopathy larger than 8 mm in its short axis. Distant metastases (liver, n = 4; non-regional lymph node, n = 1) were also noted. Venous tumor thrombosis was identified in the portal vein (n = 3), splenic vein (n = 1), main portal vein (n = 1), or right gastroepiploic vein (n = 1) in the regions near primary gastric tumors or metastatic masses. CONCLUSION: On CT scans, hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the stomach appears as an eccentric gastric wall thickening and shows a strong tendency for liver and lymph node metastasis and venous invasion around the primary gastric tumor or a metastatic hepatic mass.