A CASE OF CALCIFIED GASTRIC CANCER

Abstract

Calcified gastric cancer detected by X ray examination is rare. We report a case of calcified gastric cancer on the plain abdominal X ray and CT. The patient was a 88-year-old man with diabetes mellitus. Upper gastrointestinal series in a check up revealed an elevated lesion of the stomach for which he was hospitalized. Endoscopic examination showed a hemispherical elevated lesion with thick white coats and marginal depression on the lesser curvature of the gastric body and histological study of biopsy specimens disclosed signet ring cell carcinoma. Calcification was not visible on admission but appeared in the thickened wall of the stomach on CT 12 months later. In spite of chemotherapy increase of calciffication in the gastric wall during cancer growth was observed on CT, plain X ray also showed small stippled calcification on the 26th months after admission. He died of carcinomatous peritonitis 28 months after admission. At autopsy longitudinal cross section of the stomach showed whitish calcification in the tumor. Histological study disclosed mucinous adenocarcinoma with calcified deposits.