Cross-sectional imaging as a diagnostic tool in critical pelviabdominal infections in patients with abdominal or blood born malignancies

Background Clinical infections are considered the most worrisome complications in cancer patients in general and in those with abdominal malignancies specifically. Absent common clinical symptoms provides a challenge for both clinicians and radiologists to reach a definite diagnosis. Radiological differentiation between signs of abdominal infections and signs of tumoral progression are frequently challenging and requires good collaboration between radiological, clinical, and laboratory findings Aim To differentiate between radiological signs of abdominal infections and signs of tumoral progression, together with specifying the most common abdominal infections in patients with abdominal malignancies. Patients and methods A total of 70 patients with a known abdominal malignancy and clinically suspected abdominal or pelvic infection who had performed computed tomography or MRI according to their clinical scenario were examined retrospectively for radiological signs of infection. Results Imaging confirmed the suspected clinical diagnosis in 37.5% of cases and diagnosed patients with vague clinical symptoms in 62.5% of cases. Conclusion Typhlitis and perianal infections were the most encountered infections in our study. Differentiation between the spread of infection and malignancy progression is challenging in some cases, requiring a multidisciplinary team and close follow-up.