Mesothelioma CT
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Mesothelioma Microchapters |
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Diagnosis |
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Treatment |
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Case Studies |
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Mesothelioma CT On the Web |
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American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Mesothelioma CT |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Parminder Dhingra, M.D. [2], Sujit Routray, M.D. [3]
Overview
Chest CT scan may be diagnostic of mesothelioma. CT is the most commonly used modality for the assessment of mesothelioma and is able to stage the disease accurately in majority of the patients.[1]
CT
- Chest CT scan is the most commonly used modality for the assessment of mesothelioma and is able to stage the disease accurately in majority of the patients.[1]
- The appearance is that of a soft tissue attenuation nodular mass which spreads along pleural surfaces including into pleural fissures and often creating a pleural rind.
- Calcification is seen in 20% of cases which usually represents engulfed calcified pleural plaques rather than true tumor calcification.
- Sarcomatoid variants may demonstrate osteosarcoma or chondrosarcomatous components which may also be calcified.
- An uncommon variant is the solitary mediastinal malignant mesothelioma which has appearances reminiscent of a solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura.[1]
- Mesothelioma has a predilection for direct invasion of adjacent structures (chest wall, diaphragm, and mediastinal content) but also frequently metastasise to the contralateral lung and local nodes.
- To confidently predict chest wall invasion the extrapleural fat plane should be seen to be infiltrated and/or direct extension in bone or muscle identified.
- Presence of a pericardial effusion suggests transpericardial extension.[1]
Gallery
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![CT scan of chest demonstrating a circumferential nodular soft tissue encasement of the left lung. There is volume loss with elevation of the hemidiaphragm and shift of the mediastinum. A number of enlarged mediastinal nodes are noted.[2]](/images/2/2d/Ct_image_mesothelioma_image_1.jpg)
CT scan of chest demonstrating a circumferential nodular soft tissue encasement of the left lung. There is volume loss with elevation of the hemidiaphragm and shift of the mediastinum. A number of enlarged mediastinal nodes are noted.[2]
![CT scan of chest demonstrating a circumferential nodular soft tissue encasement of the left lung. There is volume loss with elevation of the hemidiaphragm and shift of the mediastinum. A number of enlarged mediastinal nodes are noted.[2]](/index.php/File:Ct_image_mesothelioma_image_1.jpg)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Radiographic findings of mesothelioma. Dr Bruno Di Muzio and A.Prof Frank Gaillard et al. Radiopaedia 2016. http://radiopaedia.org/articles/mesothelioma. Accessed on February 8, 2015
- ↑ Image courtesy of Dr. A.Prof Frank Gaillard. Radiopaedia (original file here). Creative Commons BY-SA-NC