Mesenteric desmoid tumour masquerading as a fat-containing cystic mass

Differentiation of intra-abdominal desmoid tumor from peritoneal seeding based on CT and/or 18F-FDG PET-CT in patients with history of cancer surgery

PURPOSE

To investigate differential imaging features of intra-abdominal desmoid tumors and peritoneal seeding in patients with history of cancer surgery.

METHODS

Thirty-two patients who had a single pathologically proven intra-peritoneal lesion that developed after cancer surgery were enrolled between January 2000 and June 2019. There were 16 desmoid tumors and 16 peritoneal seeding lesions. Portal phase CT and/or ¹⁸F-FDG PET findings were analyzed by two radiologists in consensus for the following items: location, size, shape, margin, contour, homogeneity, necrosis, adjacent organ invasion, calcification, intra-lesional fat, peritoneal infiltration, mass effect, and degree of enhancement. Hounsfield units (HU) and maximum standardized uptake values (SUV_max) of the lesions were measured. Imaging findings were compared using the Chi square test, Fisher's exact test, and student t test.

RESULTS

Desmoid tumors frequently showed well-defined margins (9/16) and smooth contours (12/16), whereas peritoneal seeding had ill-defined margins (13/16) and lobulated contours (11/16) (P = 0.028 and 0.013, respectively). Intra-lesional fat was found more frequently in desmoid tumors (7/16) than peritoneal seeding (1/16) (P = 0.014). Desmoid tumors showed iso-attenuation (13/16) compared to psoas muscle in portal phase, while peritoneal seeding depicted high attenuation (12/16) (P = 0.002). Mean HU was significantly lower in desmoid tumors (64.3) than peritoneal seeding lesions (95.1) (P = 0.001). However, the mean SUV_max of desmoid tumors (4.1) did not significantly differ from peritoneal seeding lesions (5.2) (P = 0.519).

CONCLUSION

Several CT features including iso-attenuation in portal phase and presence of intra-lesional fat can be helpful in differentiating desmoid tumors from peritoneal seeding in patients with history of intra-abdominal cancer surgery.

Laparoscopic spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy for a solid-cystic intraabdominal desmoid tumor at a gastro-pancreatic lesion: a case report

Background

We report a case of an intraabdominal desmoid tumor that occurred at a gastro-pancreatic lesion with spontaneous cystic features, and present the successful laparoscopic resection of the tumor.

Case presentation

A 20-mm retroperitoneal cystic mass with a solid component was found adjacent to the stomach and pancreatic body in a 52-year-old woman with no history of familial adenomatous polyposis. Laparoscopic spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy with wedge resection of the stomach was performed, and complete resection was achieved without intraoperative and postoperative complications. Histopathological examination by immunohistochemistry enabled diagnosis of a desmoid tumor that had originated from the stomach and invaded the pancreatic parenchyma with a spontaneous cystic change. We herein report an extremely rare case of an intraabdominal desmoid tumor with a spontaneous cystic change.

Conclusion

Regardless of its rarity, desmoid tumor should be included in the preoperative differential diagnosis of a cystic intraabdominal mass, and laparoscopic function-preserving surgery may be an optimal treatment option.

Not all abdominal masses after colorectal cancer surgery are malignant: intra-abdominal fibromatosis masquerading as recurrence

AIM

Intra-abdominal fibromatosis is an unusual mesenchymal tumour that can be locally aggressive without any metastatic potential. Fibromatosis may simulate cancer recurrence on imaging surveillance for colorectal cancer follow-up. The optimal treatment of recurrent peritoneal malignancy is cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). Confirmatory biopsy of lesions suspicious for colorectal cancer recurrence may not be feasible, thereby rendering surgery the safest option. Our aim was to determine the incidence of fibromatosis in a cohort of patients undergoing CRS and HIPEC for suspected colorectal cancer recurrence.

METHODS

One hundred and seventy-one CRS and HIPEC cases were performed at our Peritoneal Malignancy Institute between February 2007 and October 2018 for colorectal peritoneal metastases and were included in a prospectively maintained database.

RESULTS

A total of 49 (29%) of 171 cases were performed for primary colorectal cancer with peritoneal metastases, whereas 122 (71%) of 171 cases were performed for suspected colorectal cancer recurrence detected on surveillance imaging after primary colorectal cancer resection. On histological analysis of the resected specimen, five (4.1%) of 122 cases undergoing CRS and HIPEC for colorectal recurrence had fibromatosis.

CONCLUSION

Fibromatosis can masquerade as colorectal cancer recurrence. In this series it occurred with an incidence of 4.1% among a cohort of patients undergoing CRS and HIPEC for probable recurrence. Surgical resection may be the only option to confirm the diagnosis and rule out malignancy.

En bloc resection for intra-abdominal/retroperitoneal desmoid-type fibromatosis with adjacent organ involvement: A case series and literature review

Surgical treatment for intra-abdominal/retroperitoneal desmoid-type fibromatosis (IA/RPDF) is still controversial. Studies regarding en bloc resection in IA/RPDF with adjacent organ involvement are scanty. This study aims to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of en bloc resection in IA/RPDF with adjacent organ involvement. This retrospective clinical study included 21 patients who were diagnosed with IA/RPDF and underwent tumor resection at a single center between March 2013 and June 2018. All patients included in the study underwent surgery with curative intent, and IA/RPDF with adhesive organs was removed en bloc. The safety of surgical treatment was verified by the analysis of intraoperative bleeding, postoperative morbidity and perioperative mortality. The efficacy of surgical treatment was evaluated based on the status of tumor infiltration of adjacent organs and patient follow-up results. Complete macroscopic (R0 or R1) resection was achieved in all cases. A median of 2 (range, 1-7) organs were resected. The median operating time was 300 (90-650) minutes. The median intraoperative bleeding was 300 (20-4,500) milliliters. For postoperative pathological diagnosis at our center, tumor infiltrated at least one organ in each patient. Infiltration was noted in 45 resected organs (45/57, 78.9%). Grade III-V postoperative morbidity developed in one patient (4.8%). During the follow-up, one patient developed local recurrence. No DF-related death was noted during the follow-up. The 3-year disease-free survival rate was 94.1% (95% confidence interval: 83.6-100%). Therefore, en bloc resection of the tumor and involved adjacent organs is a safe and effective treatment modality for IA/RPDF.

An Intra-abdominal Solid-cystic Desmoid That Emerged after Distal Gastrectomy

Desmoid is a locally aggressive fibroblastic neoplasm, typically showing a heterogeneous solid mass, and its pathogenesis is multifactorial, including surgical scars. We herein report a rare case of an intra-abdominal desmoid, consisting of solid and cystic components covered with epithelial linings, that emerged after distal gastrectomy. The preoperative diagnosis was inconclusive, so laparotomy was performed. Histopathology of the solid component showed proliferating spindle cells, which were positive for beta-catenin in their nuclei. Clinicians need to bear in mind that desmoids can appear in a solid-cystic form, and immunostaining of beta-catenin should be applied for tumors that emerge around postoperative wounds.

Desmoid-type fibromatosis mimicking cystic retroperitoneal mass: case report and literature review

Background

Retroperitoneal desmoid-type fibromatosis (DF) is an uncommon mesenchymal neoplasm presenting as a firm mass with locally aggressive features. It usually manifests as a well-circumscribed or ill-defined, solid mass on cross-sectional imaging. Cystic changes of DF have been described in the literature in association with prolonged medical treatment or abscess formation. However, spontaneous cystic change is rarely reported.

Case presentation

Here we report the case of a 46-year-old patient with a DF mimicked a large cystic tumor in the retroperitoneum. Ultrasonography and computed tomography were performed in order to search for localizations and characteristics of the cystic tumor. Radiological findings showed an oval cystic mass with a relatively thick wall, measuring 18.3 × 12.3 × 21.5 cm in the left upper abdomen. Laparoscopic spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy was performed and histopathological examination by immunohistochemical study enabled us to diagnose a DF invading the pancreatic parenchyma. The patient remained asymptomatic during an 8-month follow up period.

Conclusions

We report an extremely rare case of retroperitoneal DF with spontaneous cystic change. DF can manifest as a mainly cystic mass with a thick wall, as in our case, which makes the correct diagnosis difficult. DF should be included in the preoperative differential diagnosis of a cystic retroperitoneal mass, regardless of its rarity.

A Spectrum of Entities That May Mimic Abdominopelvic Abscesses Requiring Image-guided Drainage

A variety of entities may mimic drainable abscesses. This can lead to misdiagnosis of these entities, unnecessary percutaneous placement of a pigtail drainage catheter, other complications, and delay in appropriate treatment of the patient. Types of entities that may mimic drainable abscesses include neoplasms (lymphoma, gallbladder cancer, gastrointestinal stromal tumor, ovarian cancer, mesenteric fibromatosis, ruptured mature cystic teratoma, recurrent malignancy in a surgical bed), ischemia/infarction (liquefactive infarction of the spleen, infarcted splenule), diverticula (calyceal, Meckel, and giant colonic diverticula), and congenital variants (obstructed duplicated collecting system). Postoperative changes, including expected anatomy after urinary diversion or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and small bowel resection, may also pose a diagnostic challenge. Nonpyogenic infections (Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium avium complex, echinococcal cysts) and inflammatory conditions such as xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis and gossypiboma could also be misinterpreted as drainable fluid collections. Appropriate recognition of these entities is essential for optimal patient care. This article exposes radiologists to a variety of entities for which percutaneous drainage may be requested, but is not indicated, and highlights important imaging findings associated with these entities to facilitate greater diagnostic accuracy and treatment in their practice. ^©RSNA, 2018.

Giant mesenteric fibromatosis – A case report

Mesenteric fibromatosis or intra-abdominal desmoids tumor is a rare clinical entity. It is a locally aggressive tumor but not metastasizing proliferation. We report a case of a 27-year-old woman with no significant medical and a previous cesarean section, admitted for abdominal pain. The CT abdominal evaluation revealed subserosal uterine fibroid. The patient underwent an elective laparotomy and a mass measuring 20/15/15 cm in diameter to the medial wall of the cecum was discovered. Complete removal was accomplished with right hemicolectomy. Histopathological examination reported mesenteric fibromatosis. Postoperatively, patient was well and 6 month follow-up showed good recovery. Moreover the next month she became pregnant and the pregnancy and birth were uneventful.