Medical Physics Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Medical Physics, including details on medicine, radiotherapy, biomechanics, medical imaging.

The imaging features of gastrointestinal stromal tumours.

O'Sullivan PJ, Harris AC, Ho SG, Munk PL

Department of Medical Imaging, Vancouver General Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. sullypos@yahoo.com <sullypos@yahoo.com>

Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) are a rare group of mesenchymal neoplasms that occur predominantly in the gastrointestinal tract. Previously GISTs were classified as smooth muscle tumours referred to as leiomyomas, leiomyosacromas or leiomyoblastomas. However, with the advent of immunohistochemistry, GISTs are now defined by the identification of cKit positivity. This is now used to select patients with metastatic disease who may respond to chemotherapeutic agents such as the tyrosine kinase inhibitor, STI-571. In this pictorial essay we have attemped to describe the range of imaging findings of GISTs that can suggest a pre-biopsy diagnosis.

Published 27 November 2006 in Eur J Radiol, 60(3): 431-8.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2005-2008 Medical Physics Research Today. All Rights Reserved.