الفهرس 
Introduction& aim of the workOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
This study included 30 patients (20 males &10 females). Their age ranged between 32 and 79 years. Spiral CT was done for all cases using water as an oral contrast agent. It was preferred due to its availability, safety, excellent patient tolerance and enhanced gastric wall visualization. The results obtained by CT were compared with pathological findings. Pathological varieties encountered were 20 cases adenocarcinoma, 4 cases lymphoma, 4 cases gastrointestinal stromal tumors (leiomyosarcoma) and metastatic (direct spread) in 2 cases from cancer esophagus and cancer body of pancreas. Adenocarcinoma was the most common malignant gastric tumor (75%) and the gastric antrum was the commonest affected site. Spiral CT proved to be valuable in diagnosis of primary tumor, detection of distant metastases and lymph nodes enlargement. CT may help in differentiation between mucinous type and non mucinous carcinomas. Fungating or ulcerative tumors with homogenous contrast enhancement were observed in non mucinous carcinoma. Mucinous carcinoma presented by diffusely infiltrative or fungating tumors with layered pattern of enhancement. Gastric lymphomas represented 13.3% of all cases. CT can help in differentiation from carcinoma based on more pronounced gastric wall thickening and more homogenous enhancement than in carcinomas. Gastrointestinal stromal tumors represented 13.3% of all cases. The body of the stomach was the commonest affected site. They appeared as well delineated soft tissue masses with a large extragastric component, with heterogeneous enhancement and ulceration. In conclusion, spiral CT has proved to be an important technique in preoperative evaluation and staging of gastric cancer. The use of water as oral contrast agent optimizes the visualization of enhancing gastric wall on CT scans. CT may help prediction of tumor type. We advise the routine use of spiral CT in evaluation and staging of gastric cancer as a helping aid for proper decision making.