Purpose: To clarify the MRI findings for primary fallopian tube cancer (PFTC).
Materials and methods: MRI findings for 11 patients who were pathologically diagnosed with PFTC at our institute were retrospectively reviewed. MRI findings (shape, appearance, signal intensity, ADC value, enhancement patterns, and location of the primary tumor, the morphologic appearance of the ipsilateral ovary, and intrauterine fluid collection) were evaluated and compared with pathological findings including histological subtype and PFTC location.
Results: On MRI, PFTCs with a tubal component (n = 8) exhibited a sausage-like shape in five cases and a nodular or irregular shape in three cases. PFTCs located at the fimbria (n = 3) presented a nodular shape. The PFTC was solid in nine cases (82%), and the solid portion showed high intensity on diffusion-weighted images in all cases. The mean ADC value was 0.86 × 10-3 mm2/s. Rim enhancement of the tumor was seen in six of nine cases (67%), all with a tubal component.
Conclusion: PFTCs with a tubal component are sausage-shaped and PFTCs located at the fimbria have a nodular shape. Rim enhancement is frequently seen in PFTCs with a tubal component, which may suggest a tubal origin.
Keywords: Diffusion MRI; Fallopian tube neoplasms; Magnetic resonance imaging.