Computed tomography imaging of ovarian peritoneal carcinomatosis: a pictorial review

Gynaecological malignancies are the most common malignancies in women and also an important public health issue. In developing countries, there is a paucity of screening facilities and cancer awareness, so patients present at an advanced stage of disease, which severely limits the prognosis and clinical outcome. Among the gynaecological malignancies, ovarian malignancy has the second highest incidence in women according to the incidences. Ovarian malignancy is usually diagnosed at the advanced stages, and to improve the patient's survival, debulking surgery is very important. Advanced-stage disease is treated with either debulking surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy or initial neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by debulking surgery. Imaging is very important in patient selection, in determining who will benefit from neoadjuvant chemotherapy just before debulking surgery. This article highlights the role of computed tomography (CT) in the detection of patterns of spread of ovarian malignancy, important for staging and management.