Arteriography of retroperitoneal lymphoma.

Arteriography was performed in 16 patients with various types of lymphoma involving the retroperitoneal space. The location and extent of the mass could be predicted in 15 cases, based upon displacement of major arteris or kidneys. Most of the studies demonstrated some degree of fine reticular neovascularity and staining within the mass; none showed extreme hypervascularity, coarse or ragged vessels, or pooling of contrast medium during the capillary phase. The differential diagnosis of lesions with this appearance includes metastases, sarcomas, neural tumors, and inflammatory masses. Arteriography may possibly prove to be of value in staging certain patients with lymphoma, although definitive assessment of its role must await further prospective studies.