Objective To investigate the mult-slice spiral CT(MSCT)imaging manifestations of bowel wall thickening due to nontumorous causes,and to address the value of MSCT scanning in assessing nontumorous bowel wall thickening.MethodsThe MSCT findings of 284 patients with bowel wall thickening due to nontumorous causes confirmed by surgery,biopsy,or clinical follow-up were retrospectively analyzed.The location, range,symmetric or asymmetric,degree,attenuation,presence or absence of enhancement and associated perienteric abnormalities of thickened bowel wall were involved.ResultsAll nontumorous disease caused bowel wall thickening include liver cirrhosis(109 cases),acute pancreatitis(54 cases),bowel obstruction(36 cases),inflammatory bowel disease(14 cases),ischemic bowel disease(12 cases),radiation enterocolitis(13 cases),tuberculosis(12 cases),immune reaction(10 cases),infective enteritis(3 cases),acute appendicitis(3 cases),hypoproteinemia(5 cases),non-common disease(8 cases)and normal variants(5 cases).The attenuation pattern of the thickened bowel wall include high attenuation(1 case),iso-attenuation(144 cases),low attenuation(127 cases),fat deposition(5 cases)and pneumatosis(7 cases).The enhancement pattern of the thickened bowel wall included gentle enhancement(249 cases),notable enhancement(32 cases)and unenhancement(3 cases).Degree of bowel wall thickening included mild thinckening(279 cases)and marked thickening(5 cases).The range of bowel wall thickening was focal(8 cases),segmental(64 cases)and diffuse(212 cases).The associated perienteric abnormalities of thickened bowel wall included swelling of fat(218 cases),ascites(189 cases),lymphadenopathy(5 cases),peirenteirc abscess(2 cases),mesenteric vascular lesion(25 cases)and involvement of solid abdominal organs(169 cases). ConclusionMSCT has an invaluable role in the diagnostic evaluation of nontumorous bowel wall thickening.A wide variety of nontumorous diseases may manifest with bowel wall thickening at MSCT.Paying attention to the characteristics of thickening of bowel wall will benefit the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of various intestinal diseases.
Objective To determine the frequencies and patterns of gastrointestinal wall thickening at muti-slice computed tomography (MSCT) in patients with hepatic cirrhosis. Methods One hundred and nine patients with cirrhosis and 130 patients without cirrhosis for gastrointestinal wall thickening were retrospectively analyzed by the abdominal MSCT scans. The frequencies of wall thickening were determined in the cirrhosis patients and in those without cirrhosis. The segmental distribution, symmetry and enhancement pattern were evaluated in all patients with cirrhosis for gastrointestinal wall thickening. Results Gastrointestinal wall thickening was seen in 72 cases (66%) with cirrhosis patients and in 12 cases (9%) without cirrhosis patients (Plt;0.005). The jejunum and ascending colon were the most common sites of gastrointestinal wall thickening, which was involved in 32 and 31 patients respectively. The scans of 46 (64%) patients with gastrointestinal wall thickening showed multisegmental distribution. Gastrointestinal wall thickening was concentric and homogeneous in all patients with cirrhosis. Conclusion Gastrointestinal wall thickening is common in patients with hepatic cirrhosis. It frequently involves multiple segments. The jejunum and ascending colon are the most common sites of involvement. MSCT plays an invaluable role in diagnostic evaluation of bowel wall thickening in patients with hepatic cirrhosis.
Objective To investigate the imaging features of intestinal volvulus on multi-detector row spiral CT (MDCT). MethodsThirty-one patients with surgically confirmed intestinal volvulus were included in this study. Nine patients received MDCT plain scan, 22 received contrast enhanced MDCT scan and 5 of them had additional CT angiography. Two abdominal radiologists analyzed the MDCT imaging features of intestinal volvulus observed, such as the location, direction of rotation, degree of volvulus, appearance rate of the “whirl sign” and the “beak sign”, bowel wall thickening and ascites and the possible causes of volvulus, which were recorded with review of surgical findings. Results The location of volvulus included duodenum (1 case), jejunum (23 cases), ileum (3 cases), entire small intestine (2 cases) and sigmoid colon (2 cases). The location of volvulus was correctly diagnosed based on MDCT findings in 27 patients (27/31; 87.0%). The direction of volvulus was correctly diagnosed for all patients based on MDCT findings (clockwise in 11 cases and counterclockwise in 20 cases). The degrees of volvulus assessed on MDCT findings were respectively 180° in 13 cases, 360° in 12 cases, 540° in 2 cases, 720° in 2 cases and 900° in 2 cases, as compared with surgical findings of 180° in 17 cases, 360° in 10 cases, 540° in 1 case, and 720° in 3 cases. The diagnostic accuracy of MDCT for assessing the degree of volvulus was 74.2%. The “whirl sign” and “beak sign” appeared in 18 and 20 patients, respectively. Bowel wall thickening and ascites were showed in 9 patients. In 5 patients with reconstructed images, the images obtained by maximum intensity projection (MIP) and volume rendering (VR) techniques showed the abnormality of mesenteric vessels in all patients, and the multi-planar reconstruction (MPR) image of one patient showed the “whirl sign” and the “beak sign”. The causes of intestinal volvulus were identified on MDCT in 10 patients. Conclusion The “whirl sign” and the “beak sign” are the characteristic images of intestinal volvulus on MDCT. Bowel wall thickening and ascites may indicate the hemody-namic images impairment of volvulus. MDCT plays valuable role in the diagnosis of intestinal volvulus.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the value of ultrasound in the differential diagnosis of thickened bowel wall at the lower quadrant of abdomen. MethodsThe ultrasonic and clinical data of 416 cases of bowel wall thickening at the lower quadrant of abdomen were retrospectively analyzed between January 2009 and April 2013 in Meishan Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Meishan Chinese Railway Hospital and West China Hospital of Sichuan University. The diseases included appendicitis, periappendiceal abscess, Meckel's diverticulum, intestinal duplication, Crohn's disease and intestinal tuberculosis. Misdiagnoses were also analyzed. ResultsAmong the 416 patients, there were 304 cases of inflammation, 90 of tumors, and 22 of congenital diseases. On ultrasound images, they manifested as cystic mass in 19 cases, mixed solid and cystic mass in 77 cases, and solid mass in 320 cases. Of all the cases, there were 56 cases of diffused changes, 54 of multiple-segment changes, and 306 of focal changes. ConclusionUltrasound is a valuable diagnostic imaging tool in the differential diagnosis of bowel thickening diseases at the lower quadrant of abdomen.