Early Colon Cancer: Findings on Double Contrast Barium Enema

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To describe the radiologic findings of early colon cancer on double-contrast barium enema. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the double-contrast barium enemas of eight patients (MF=62;mean age67yrs;range48-77 yrs) who were pathologically proven to be early colon cancer. The location, size and grossmorphology of lesions was evaluated using double-con-trast barium enema, while depth of invasion, degree ofdifferentiation, precancerous lesions and lymph node metastasis were evaluated histopathologically. RESULTS:Early colon cancer was found in the rectum(n=4), sigmoid colon (n=3) and ascending colon(n=1). The size of massranged from 2.3-8.3(mean, 4.6)cm. And the polypoid type was most common(n=7);this was subdivided into sessile(IS,n=5), semipedunculated (ISP, n=1) and pedunculated type(Ip, n=1). Another mass was a sessile polypoid combinedwith a flat depressed lesion. In eight cases, four cancers were confined to the mucosa, while the remaining fourhad infiltrated the submucosa. Most cancers arose from villous and villotubular adenoma. All cases werewell-differentiated adenocarcinoma and no metastasis to lymph nodes had occurred. CONCLUSION: In early coloncancer, lesions were mainly polypoid and large. Most arose from villous and villotubular adenoma.