Critical pitfall: varices in cancer patients mimicking lymphadenopathy; differentiation of varicose veins and enlarged lymph nodes in routine staging.

Two patients, each with a history of multiple cancers, were referred to our institution for routine cancer staging. Contrast enhanced multislice-CT showed round and oval shaped inguinal and retroperitoneal masses in one patient and inguinal mass lesions in the other patient. The mass lesions were suspicious of lymphadenopathy related to cancer recurrence. Additional MR-Imaging, however, showed tortuous varicose veins as well as suspicious lymph nodes in one patient and solely venous convolutes in the other patient. Regarding the routine contrast enhanced CT-scan in the portovenous phase, varices showed no significant difference in radiodensity compared to enlarged lymph nodes.