Prognostic CT findings of malignant bowel obstruction in patients with advanced ovarian cancer

Abstract

Objective:

To evaluate computed tomography (CT) findings able to predict outcome in patients with ovarian cancer (OC) and concomitant bowel occlusion.

Methods:

This institutional review board–approved retrospective study included 31 patients with OC and clinical evidence of bowel occlusion who underwent CT at presentation between February 2013 and June 2015. Two radiologists recorded various qualitative CT features. Correlations between CT and survival data were made with Mann-Whitney test, Wilcoxon test, and χ² test, as appropriate. Receiver operating characteristic curves were generated for statistically significant CT findings using logistic regression model.

Results:

Two of 31 patients (6.5%) were alive at the end of this study; 29 patients (93.5%) died of disease. Median overall survival was 90 days. CT features associated with short life expectancy were bowel mural thinning (p=0.03), mesenteric tumor deposits (p=0.009), mesenteric infiltration (p=0.02), and ascites (p=0.04). Area under the curve was 0.728 (p=0.03) for mesenteric tumor deposits in predicting malignant bowel obstruction.

Conclusions:

Accurate interpretation of CT features may guide decisions in care of women with OC and bowel obstruction.