Abdominal Inflammatory Lesions Mimicking Malignancy: Imaging Pitfalls and Clues

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Gastroenterology
• Pathology

Background:

• Abdominal inflammatory lesions often present imaging features similar to malignancies.
• This diagnostic challenge can lead to uncertainty and potentially harmful interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review diverse inflammatory abdominal conditions that radiologically mimic neoplastic processes.
• To highlight key imaging findings and their clinical correlations for accurate differentiation.

Main Methods:

• Pictorial review of selected cases with inflammatory abdominal conditions.
• Analysis of imaging characteristics (mass-forming patterns, enhancement, diffusion restriction).
• Correlation with clinical and laboratory data.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated various inflammatory conditions (e.g., autoimmune pancreatitis, xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis, diverticulitis, peritoneal tuberculosis) mimicking cancer.
• Detailed key imaging findings that aid in distinguishing inflammation from neoplasm.

Conclusions:

• Accurate diagnosis of abdominal inflammatory lesions mimicking malignancy requires a multidisciplinary approach.
• Integrating imaging expertise with clinical context is essential for patient care and avoiding misdiagnosis.