Contrast enhancement versus vasculature of uterine tumors

The relative contrast enhancement of normal myometrium and small or medium size uterine fibroids and clinical stage I endometrial carcinomas were correlated to their microangiographically demonstrable vascularity. In four cases small uterine fibroids showed contrast enhancement equal to normal myometrium, independent of their vascularity in microangiography. In five, endometrial carcinomas contrast enhancement was always below that of the surrounding myometrium in CT. Intratumour vasculature showed great variability in microangiography. No correlation between the topographic variations in the arrangement or density of tumour blood vessels and the degree of contrast enhancement was found. Contrast enhancement of small uterine fibroids was greater than that of small adenocarcinomas. More contrast material accumulates tissue of the fibroid than into the extravascular space of endometrial carcinoma.