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Peritoneal calcification: causes and distinguishing features on CT
Atul Agarwal1, Benjamin M Yeh, Richard S Breiman
1Department of Radiology, University of California San Francisco, 505 Parnassus Ave, M372, San Francisco, CA 94143-0628, USA.
AJR. American Journal of Roentgenology
|January 23, 2004
Summary
Peritoneal calcification on CT scans can stem from dialysis, peritonitis, or ovarian cancer. Sheet-like patterns suggest benign causes, while lymph node calcification indicates malignancy.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Oncology
- Nephrology
Background:
- Peritoneal calcification is an uncommon finding on computed tomography (CT) scans.
- Distinguishing benign from malignant causes is crucial for patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the causes of peritoneal calcification observed on CT.
- To determine CT features that differentiate benign from malignant peritoneal calcification.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 74,765 abdominopelvic CT scans over 7 years.
- Analysis of medical and histopathologic records to ascertain calcification etiology.
- Radiological assessment of calcification morphology (nodular vs. sheet-like) and associated features (lymph node calcification).
Main Results:
- Identified causes: peritoneal dialysis (n=4), prior peritonitis (n=3), cryptogenic (n=1), and ovarian carcinoma spread (n=9).
- Sheet-like calcification was significantly more frequent in benign cases (7/8) compared to malignant cases (2/9, p < 0.05).
- Nodal calcification was exclusively observed in malignant cases (5/9 vs. 0/8, p < 0.05).
Conclusions:
- Common etiologies include dialysis, prior peritonitis, and ovarian cancer.
- Sheet-like peritoneal calcification suggests a benign etiology.
- Associated lymph node calcification is a strong indicator of malignancy.