OBJECTIVETo evaluate the relationship between CT findings and immunohistochemical types of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST).

METHODSCT imaging and clinicopathological data of 85 patients with GIST were analyzed retrospectively. The CT findings of GIST including lesion location, size, contour, boundary, tumor growth pattern, degree of enhancement, necrosis and calcification, were summarized and compared with the immunohistochemical types of the GIST.

RESULTSOf the 85 patients, smooth muscle differentiation was in 26 cases (30.6%), neural differentiation in 20 (23.5%) , both smooth muscle and neural differentiation in 10 (11.8%) and no obvious differentiation in 29 (34.1%) cases. GISTs occurred in the duodenum were more frequently seen in muscle type than in any other types, GIST with smooth muscle differentiation had higher prevalence of huge mass (larger than 10 cm), distinctive enhancement and extensive necrosis than other types (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the relationships of immunohistochemical types with tumor contour, boundary, growth pattern and calcification among the four groups of GIST (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSCT scan is the most important and effective method for diagnosis of GIST. Analyzing CT signs has some potential value in judgmet of immunohistochemical types of GIST.