Calcified primary tumors of the gastrointestinal tract

Abstract

The dominant pattern and location of calcifications occurring within 23 primary gastrointestinal tumors have been analysed and correlated with the data from the literature. The provided guidelines for radiologic diagnosis of such calcified tumors include: (1) a retrocardiac mass containing amorphous calcifications is typical of leiomyoma of the esophagus; (2) calcific deposits similar to that in uterine fibroids may be the feature of gastric leiomyoma or intestinal leiomyosarcoma; (3) sand-like deposits within the wall of the stomach or colon are characteristic of a mucinous adenocarcinoma; (4) clusters of phleboliths in the gastrointestinal wall suggest a hemangioma particularly if recurrent intestinal bleeding and cutaneous hemangiomas are associated; (5) sunburst type of calcification in the pancreas indicates a cystadenoma or cystadenocarcinoma of that organ; and (6) aggregates of granular calcifications in the liver are diagnostic for metastatic adenocarcinoma of the colon but may rarely be seen in a primary malignancy of the liver.