Thoracic and Abdominal Oncological Emergencies in Radiology

Thoracic and abdominal acute life-threatening oncological emergencies can be secondary either an underlying cancer or a complication of its treatment. Oncological emergencies can be classified in metabolic, hematological or structural. Metabolic and hematological emergencies are diagnosed by clinical and laboratory exams. Indeed, the radiological imaging is essential for the diagnosis of structural oncological emergencies such fistulas, hemoptysis, embolism, superior vena cava syndrome, cardiac tamponade, intraabdominal hemorrhage, bowel obstruction, perforation and ischemia, intussusception and urinary tract obstruction and structural complications of the oncological treatments. Radiologists should be confident with the main findings of structural oncologic emergencies to make an accurate timely diagnosis and to provide appropriate patient care. For this reason, the purpose of this work is to summarize the main clinical and radiological characteristics of thoracic and abdominal structural oncological emergencies.

Keywords: Emergency, oncology, radiological emergencies