CT imaging of peritoneal carcinomatosis with surgical correlation: a pictorial review

Cytoreductive surgery in combination with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy has revolutionized the survival and the quality of life in selected patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis. Preoperative CT is important for the selection of patients that may benefit from cytoreductive surgery and is useful for surgical planning. There are several tasks for the radiologist during CT interpretation: to describe cancerous implants on a site-by-site basis in the peritoneum, ligaments, mesenteries and visceral surfaces, to analyze patterns of involvement and to estimate the disease burden. Knowledge of the correlation between the CT and the surgical findings enhances the understanding of the disease and facilitates the communication between radiologists and surgeons.

Automated summary

Cytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy has revolutionized survival and quality of life in peritoneal carcinomatosis patients. Preoperative CT is crucial for patient selection and surgical planning. Radiologists play a key role in describing cancerous implants, analyzing involvement patterns, and estimating disease burden during CT interpretation, enhancing disease understanding and communication between radiologists and surgeons.