CT Diagnosis of Intestinal Obstruction

Objective To evaluate CT in the diagnosis of intestinal obstruction.Materials and Methods CT and plain abdominal film in erect position were performed in 68 patients with intestinal obstruction, of them barium enema was also carried out in 6. Surgery was done in 42 cases, while conservative treatment with gastrointestinal decompression and anti inflammatory agents was adopted in 26 cases.Results (1) On plain films, classical stepladder like air fluid level was seen in 62 cases. (2) Of 6 cases underwent barium enema after CT scanning, 4 were tumors and the other two were tumor in association with intussusception. (3) On CT scans, mechanical obstruction was diagnosed in 56 cases, and paralytic ileus in 12 cases.Conclusion CT scan can confirm or exclude the diagnosis of intestinal obstruction. It plays an important role in judging whether it is strangulated of paralytic intestinal obstruction, though it has some limitations in qualitative diagnosis for some cases.