Abstract:

Objective To analyze the imaging findings of the ultrasonography (US), gastrointestinal imaging (GI), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of children's primary gastric tumors and tumor-like lesions and to improve the imaging diagnosis and differential diagnosis. Methods The clinical and imaging data of seventeen children with primary gastric tumors and tumor-like lesions that were confirmed by surgeries from January, 2008 to May, 2013 were retrospectively analyzed, including seven cases of gastric duplication, two cases of gastric ectopic pancreas, two cases of inflammatory myofiroblastic tumors, two cases of immature teratoma, two cases of stromal tumors, one case of gastric diverticulum, and one case of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Eleven cases were examined by the US; nine cases were examined by the GI; 15 cases were examined by the CT scan; and six cases were examined by the MRI. The imaging features of the primary gastric tumors and tumor-like lesions of children were analyzed. Results Twenty lesions occurred among seventeen cases. Among which five lesions located in the antrum; four lesions located in the fundus; nine lesions located in the gastric body (five in the greater curvature and four in the lesser curvature); and two lesions located in the gastric cardia. The average diameter of these lesions was 5.5 cm and their shapes were various. All seven cystic lesions were gastric duplications. One cystic-like lesion with air-fluid level was a gastric diverticulum. One solid-cystic mass with calcification was a teratoma. Eight solid masses were teratoma, gastric stromal tumor, inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor, adenocarcinoma, and ectopic pancreas. Conclusion The primary gastric tumors and tumor-like lesions of children are mainly cystic and solid masses. The cystic or cystic-solid masses (gastric duplication, diverticulum, and typical teratoma) have imaging characteristics while solid masses lack imaging characteristics.

Key words: children, stomach, neoplasm, tumor-like lesions, ultrasonography, gastrointestinal exam, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging