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Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: multimodality imaging features with pathological correlation
Daichi Hayashi1, Jaroslaw N Tkacz, Stephen Hammond
1Department of Radiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA. dhayashi@bu.edu
Japanese Journal of Radiology
|March 2, 2011
Summary
Neuroendocrine tumors are rare gastrointestinal and pancreatic lesions. This review details imaging techniques like CT and MRI to detect these hypervascular tumors and their metastases.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Radiology
- Oncology
Background:
- Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) of the gastrointestinal tract and pancreas are uncommon.
- Functioning NETs often present early due to hormone secretion, but small primary lesions can be challenging to detect.
- Nonfunctioning NETs, especially larger ones, may be found incidentally, often with hypervascular hepatic metastases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To illustrate the imaging features of functioning and nonfunctioning neuroendocrine tumors in the gastrointestinal tract and pancreas.
- To highlight the role of various imaging modalities in the detection and characterization of these tumors.
Main Methods:
- Review of imaging findings from computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasonography, and nuclear medicine.
- Correlation of imaging features with characteristic histological specimens.
Main Results:
- Neuroendocrine tumors are typically hypervascular, demonstrating contrast enhancement on CT and MRI.
- Imaging modalities effectively visualize primary tumors and hepatic metastases.
- Characteristic imaging appearances aid in differentiating NETs from other lesions.
Conclusions:
- Multimodality imaging is crucial for the comprehensive evaluation of gastrointestinal and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.
- Radiological features, including hypervascularity, are key indicators for NET diagnosis.
- Early detection and characterization through imaging facilitate timely management of NETs.