Primary tumors of the small intestine: CT evaluation

The diagnosis of tumors of the small intestine can be a challenge for both clinician and radiologist. Typically nonspecific in their clinical presentation, these uncommon neoplasms are seldom high on the list of diagnostic considerations. Consequently, CT, a common method to evaluate patients with vague abdominal symptoms, is likely to afford the initial opportunity to detect and characterize a tumor of the small intestine. This essay, based on the retrospective analysis of a large series of patients with primary neoplasms of the small bowel, focuses on the association of specific CT features with individual tumor types.