Lymphoma of the small intestine: radiological appearances

Cross-Sectional Imaging of Small Bowel Malignancies

Small bowel malignancies are rare neoplasms, usually inaccessible to conventional endoscopy but detectable in many cases by cross-sectional imaging. Modern multidetector computed tomographies permit accurate diagnosis, complete pretreatment staging, and follow-up of these lesions. In this review, we describe the cross-sectional imaging features of the most frequent histologic subtypes of the small bowel malignancies.

The imaging of coeliac disease and its complications

Coeliac disease is a malabsorption syndrome in which dietary gluten damages the small bowel mucosa. Gluten contains gliadin, the primary toxic component that is primarily found in wheat, barley and rye products. The initial diagnosis of coeliac disease is usually made by endoscopic biopsy of the jejunum although sometimes imaging features can suggest the diagnosis. Once a diagnosis is made, patients need to be diet compliant and monitored for potential complications. Many complications are more common when dietary compliance is poor. Complications include intussusception (usually intermittent), ulcerative jejunitis, osteomalacia, cavitating lymph node syndrome and an increased risk of malignancies such as lymphoma, adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Radiological evaluation is central in the evaluation of these complications. Imaging may assist both in the diagnosis and staging of complications as well as enabling radiological guided percutaneous biopsy for complications of coeliac disease such as lymphoma. As coeliac disease is a relatively common disorder, it is likely that most radiologists will encounter the disease and its potential complications. The aim of this review article is to discuss and illustrate the role of modern radiology in evaluating the many presentations of this complex disease.

Primary gastrointestinal lymphomas: a radiological-pathological review. Part 2: Small intestine

Primary lymphoma of the small intestine is a heterogeneous group of diseases reflected in its protean imaging features. This review illustrates the widespread appearances seen on imaging methods (primarily CT and barium studies) with pathological correlation.

Role of conventional radiology in the diagnosis and staging of gastrointestinal tract neoplasms

Preoperative diagnosis and staging of primary gastrointestinal (GI) neoplasms are challenges for both clinicians and radiologists. Barium studies are very sensitive in disclosing primary malignancies, even at an early stage. Radiologic signs depend on the evolutional stage of the disease and its appearance on gross pathology. A neoplasm may be manifested on barium studies by a wide spectrum of findings, including mucosal abnormalities, mass presence, ulcerative lesions, submucosal infiltration, and lumen stenosis. Advanced disease can be accurately diagnosed, whereas early cancer should be differentiated from other neoplastic or inflammatory disorders by meticulous analysis of radiologic findings. The extent of GI involvement and multiplicity of the lesions can be assessed on barium studies. In the staging of GI neoplasms, barium studies are of little value. Skeletal survey by conventional radiographs and chest plain films can reveal distant metastases in a short time and with low cost, although they are not that sensitive to the detection of early or subtle lesions. The exact role of conventional radiology in the imaging workup of GI malignancies depends on local expertise and availability of other diagnostic techniques and modalities.

Imaging of primary small intestinal tumours by enteroclysis and CT with pathological correlation

Preoperative diagnosis of primary small intestinal neoplasms can be a challenge for both clinicians and radiologists. As a result of their infrequent occurrence, they invariably present difficult problems in diagnosis and management. These problems are reflected mainly in the delayed treatment and a very poor prognosis for such malignant tumours. Their morphological changes, however, shown in enteroclysis and CT, correlate almost perfectly with the lesions identified in the gross pathological specimens. This ability to accurately image a small intestinal neoplasm, independently of its size, anatomical localization and growing tendency, represents a major improvement in the diagnosis and management of these neoplasms. This paper, based on a large series of patients with primary small intestinal neoplasms, focuses on the recognition of their detailed radiological appearances when evaluated by enteroclysis and CT.

Benign tumors of the small intestine: preoperative evaluation with a barium infusion technique

During a seven year period 18 benign small intestinal tumors were histologically documented in patients referred to us for a small bowel study, using a barium infusion technique. These included seven leiomyomas, five adenomatous polyps, two Peutz-Jeghers hamartomas, one myoepithelial hamartoma, one lipoma, one Brunner's gland adenoma and one neurilemmoma. Ten of the patients were women and eight were men, with their ages ranging from 20 to 75 years (mean age 45 years). Presenting symptoms were gastrointestinal bleeding in 12, anemia in 9, abdominal pain in 4, partial intestinal obstruction in 3 and bloody diarrhea in one. The time elapsed from onset of symptoms to radiological diagnosis ranged between one month and seven years (mean time 16 months). Multiple lesions were encountered in four cases and solitary in fourteen. The site of involvement was the duodenum in 3 patients, the jejunum in 8 and the ileum in 7 of them. Main radiological appearances included solitary or multiple intraluminal filling defects, mass effect on neighbouring loops and dilation of intestinal loops proximally to the lesion. The primary tumor, in the form of a mass or other abnormality of the small intestine was identified in all study cases. Correlation with surgical or endoscopic findings showed that radiology depicted all single lesions, whereas multiple lesions were underestimated in one case. The individual morphological changes shown on examination of the resected specimens resembled the appearances on the barium study in all cases. However, enteroclysis missed four out of seven ulcers and a stalk in one of the five pedunculated lesions. A specific tumor-type diagnosis was reached preoperatively in eleven patients, it was suggestive in five and mistaken in two of them. Our experience indicates that enteroclysis is an effective means in evaluating patients with suspected benign small bowel tumors, preoperatively.

The small bowel enema: a ten year review

In a retrospective study the radiological reports of small bowel enema (enteroclysis) examinations of 1465 patients were reviewed and compared with the subsequent clinical outcome, and where possible with findings at laparotomy. A sensitivity of 93.1% and a specificity of 96.9% was found, based on whether the small intestine was reported as normal or an abnormality was diagnosed to account for the patient's clinical presentation. The correct specific diagnosis was made in 67.5% of the examinations that were considered abnormal. We believe that these figures support the use of small bowel enema as the routine barium examination for suspected disorders of the small intestine.

The sonographic appearances of small bowel tumours

Twenty-seven cases of small bowel tumour confirmed surgically and pathologically have been studied. The sonographic appearances are described as well as a method of ultrasound detection following water ingestion. Tumours were classified into: (i) intraluminal tumours (duodenal adenocarcinoma n = 5; distal ileal lipoma with intussusception, n = 1; (ii) intramural tumours (proximal jejunal adenocarcinoma, n = 2; jejuno-ileal lymphoma, n = 5; (iii) extraluminal tumours (duodenal leiomyosarcoma, n = 2; neurilemmoma, n = 1; jejuno-ileal leiomyoma, n = 4; leiomyosarcoma, n = 6; subserosal lymphangioma, n = 1). Observing the lesion intermittently over a period of 1 h after water ingestion improves the localization of tumours within the small bowel.

Radiological appearances of small intestinal leiomyomas

During a 5 year period we have identified leiomyomas of the small intestine in six patients using enteroclysis. Gastrointestinal bleeding were the presenting symptoms in five and partial small bowel obstruction in one. The time interval between the onset of symptoms and radiological diagnosis ranged between 3 months and 5 years. All patients had previously been investigated by a number of endoscopic and barium radiology examinations and one had undergone a nondiagnostic laparotomy. The jejunum was the site of involvement in one patient and the ileum in five. The growth was intraluminal in two cases, extraluminal in three and bidirectional (dumb-bell) in one. Radiological appearances included round or broad-based semilunar intraluminal filling defects with encroachment of the lumen, or intussusception, displacement and/or indentation of the intestinal wall with effacement of the overlying mucosa or an ulcer crater, tenting deformity and mass effect on neighbouring loops. All six patients came to operation. Pre-operative radiological diagnosis was correct in five and suggestive in one. There was excellent correlation between the radiological appearances and morphology of the pathology specimens.