Incidental findings of gastrointestinal tumours at abdominal ultrasound examinations.

A retrospective review was performed of 11 patients referred to ultrasound examination because of abdominal pain and/or a palpable abdominal tumour, which eventually was proven to be gastrointestinal malignancy. Primary gastric carcinoma was present in 4 cases, carcinoma of the small bowel in one case, and of the large bowel in 6 cases. All the patients were examined with conventional ultrasound technique using a 3.5 MHz and a 5.0 MHz transducer. In all the cases bowel wall thickness exceeded 10 mm. A correct organ localization and primary diagnosis of tumour was made in 6 cases, of which only 2 had a palpable abdominal mass. In the remaining cases a bowel tumour was revealed in 3 but the site was incorrectly defined. Reviewing the documentations made at ultrasonography in these cases the tumour origin corresponded well with radiologic and surgical findings. In 2 patients an abscess was diagnosed which later proved to be due to a large bowel carcinoma. Ultrasound examination of patients with uncharacteristic abdominal complaints can spare the patient unnecessary examinations when the findings are pointing at a tumour in the gastrointestinal tract, save time and therefore is of economical importance.