Systemic mastocytosis: CT and US features of abdominal manifestations

To study the imaging findings in patients with systemic mastocytosis and to correlate the findings with the severity of disease on the basis of an established classification system. Pathologic findings, when available, were correlated with imaging findings.

Computed tomographic (CT) and ultrasound (US) scans and corresponding pathologic findings, when available, were retrospectively reviewed in 27 patients with systemic mastocytosis.

Only five (19%) of the patients in our series had normal abdominal CT and/or US examination results. Common abdominal imaging findings associated with systemic mastocytosis were hepatosplenomegaly, retroperitoneal adenopathy, periportal adenopathy, mesenteric adenopathy, thickening of the omentum and the mesentery, and ascites. Less common findings included hepatofugal portal venous flow, Budd-Chiari syndrome, cavernous transformation of the portal vein, ovarian mass, and complications such as chloroma. The findings were more common in patients with category II and those with category III disease.

Abdominal findings at CT and US are common in patients with systemic mastocytosis. Although the findings in patients with systemic mastocytosis are not specific to the disease, they are useful in directing further studies for diagnostic confirmation and in estimating the extent of systemic involvement.