[Imaging characteristics of gastrointestinal neoplastic acute abdomen]

Both malignant tumors derived from gastrointestinal tract and metastasis from peritoneal spread, hematogenous dissemination and lymph node can lead to acute abdomen. Such acute abdomen patients have poor prognosis, high mortality, and complex clinical manifestations. It is difficult to make a correct diagnosis in clinical practice. Recent studies show that gastrointestinal tumors are associated with clinical emergency. Malignant gastrointestinal tumors mostly result in obstruction, so upper gastrointestinal contrast for gastric cancer and post-enhanced CT for colon cancer are recommended; gastrointestinal stromal tumors usually cause bleeding, so computed tomography angiography (CTA) is the first choice for examination; primary gastrointestinal lymphoma tends to cause perforation and usually occurs in small intestine, so CT is the first examination for patients with ischemic acute abdomen, and post-enhanced CT is essential to exclude small intestine carcinoid because of its rising incidence in recent years. The possibility of gastrointestinal metastasis should be kept in mind for patients with cancer presenting acute abdomen. This article focuses on the imaging features of common gastrointestinal tumors and their acute obstruction, perforation, and hemorrhage, and aims to improve the understanding of such symptoms in clinical practice so that correct diagnosis and treatment can be made in time.