J Korean Radiol Soc.  1994 Feb;30(2):325-330.

CT Finding of Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma of the Stomach

• Lee KN
• Choi JC
• Nam KJ
• Kim JI
• Park BH
• Jeung DH
• Na SH

Abstract

PURPOSE
Signet-ring cell carcinoma is rather invasive and infiltrative than other histologic types of gastric cancer. We evaluated the characteristic CT findings of signet-ring cell carcinoma especially in the intensity and pattern of contrast enhancement.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We analyzed the CT findings of 22 cases with histologically proven signet-ring cell carcinoma, and compared them with those of 35 cases with histologically proven tubular adenocarcinoma.
RESULTS
The double ring enhancement of the gastric mass was seen in 12 cases of signet-ring cell carcinoma and only one case of tubular adenocarcinoma. The masses of signet-ring cell carcinoma were enhanced more by the CT number of 10.2 than those of tubular adenocarcinoma. Of the masses of signet-ring cell carcinoma, those showed double ring enhancement were more intensely enhanced than those showed diffuse enhancement by the CT number of 22.9.
CONCLUSION
We thought that neovascularity and different infiltration of the tumor cells in the gastric wall were responsible for the intense enhancement and double ring sign of signet-ring cell carcinoma. The possiblity of signet-ring cell carcinoma is high if a gastric mass show double ring sign and strong contrast enhancement.

MeSH Terms

Adenocarcinoma
Carcinoma, Signet Ring Cell*
Stomach Neoplasms
Stomach*