CT and MRI Findings of Focal Splenic Lesions and Ascites in Generalized Lymphatic Anomaly, Kaposiform Lymphangiomatosis, and Gorham-Stout Disease

• Published in: Journal of clinical imaging science Vol. 11; p. 44
• Main Authors: Nakamura, Fumihiko, Kato, Hiroki, Ozeki, Michio, Matsuo, Masayuki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Scientific Scholar 14.08.2021
• Subjects: Gastrointestinal Imaging; Original Research; Spleen; Kaposiform lymphangiomatosis; Generalized lymphatic anomaly; Gorham-Stout disease; Ascites
• ISSN: 2156-7514; 2156-5597
• DOI: 10.25259/jcis_101_2021

This study aimed to evaluate the CT and MRI findings of focal splenic lesions and ascites in generalized lymphatic anomaly (GLA), kaposiform lymphangiomatosis (KLA), and Gorham-Stout disease (GSD). Twenty-three patients (10 with GLA, 5 with KLA, and 8 with GSD) who underwent abdominal CT and/or MRI before treatment were included in this study, and their imaging findings were retrospectively evaluated. Focal splenic lesions were observed in nine patients; these lesions were observed frequently in GLA ( = 5; 50%) or KLA ( = 3; 60%) compared with GSD ( = 1; 13%); however, no significant differences were found between the three groups ( = 0.190). On CT images among eight patients (4 with GLA, 3 with KLA, and 1 with GSD) with focal splenic lesions who underwent CT, the number of focal splenic lesions per patient ranged from 2 to 189 (mean, 42) and the maximum diameter of focal splenic lesions ranged from 2 to 39 mm (mean, 8 mm), while more than 30 focal splenic lesions per patient were observed in 2 (50%) GLA and focal splenic lesions with maximum diameters of ≥10 mm were observed in 4 (100%) GLA but not in KLA or GSD. Ascites was observed in five patients; significant differences were observed among KLA ( = 4; 80%), GLA ( = 1; 10%), and GSD ( = 0; 0%) ( < 0.01). Ascites was significantly more frequent in KLA than in GSD ( < 0.05). More than 30 focal splenic lesions per patient and/or focal splenic lesions with maximum diameters of ≥10 mm were observed only in GLA. Focal splenic lesions tended to be less frequent in GSD, whereas ascites tended to be frequent in KLA.