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Type:
Educational Exhibit
Keywords:
Abdomen, CT, Diagnostic procedure, Education and training
Authors:
D. V. Bhargavi, R. Avantsa, P. Kala; Bangalore/IN
DOI:
10.1594/ecr2015/C-0987
Background
Introduction
The retro peritoneum is the portion of the abdomen located posterior to the peritoneal cavity extending from the diaphragm to the pelvic inlet .
It includes portions of the colon,
duodenum,
pancreas,
kidneys,
adrenal glands,
abdominal aorta,
inferior vena cava,
lymph nodes,
fat and much of the abdominal wall musculature.
The retro peritoneum is commonly divided into three spaces by the anterior and posterior renal fasciae:
1. Anterior pararenal space
2. Perirenal space
3. Posterior pararenal space
Psoas compartment is sometimes considered a fourth retroperitoneal space.
The anterior,
posterior and lateroconal fasciae are often not seen as distinct layers but instead as a multilayered complex,
hence the localization of the lesion into specific compartments is sometimes difficult.
The computed tomography can demonstrate important characteristics of these tumors.
Even then the diagnosis is often challenging for radiologists.
Diagnostic challenges include precise localization of the lesion,
organ of origin,
determination of the extent of invasion,
and characterization of the specific pathologic type.
Retroperitoneal lesions can either from the retroperitoneal organs or primary retroperitoneal lesions.
Primary retroperitoneal mass lesions are a diverse group of lesions that arise within the retroperitoneum but outside the major organs.