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Chin Med J (Taipei) 1996;58:108-13.
Departments of 1Radiology; 2General Surgery; 3Gynecology and Obstetrics, Veterans General Hospital-Kaohsiung, Kaohsiung; and 4National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Background. This study examined the usefulness of computed tomography (CT) scan for cases of organic intestinal obstruction, with two simple criteria.
Methods. One hundred and thirteen patients with clinical suspicion of bowel obstruction were referred for CT scans. A line was drawn between the dilated proximal, and the collapsed distal bowels. A careful search was conducted on this line for obstructive lesions. The results were reported to be organic obstruction if there was an abrupt change of caliber (Criterion I) or a soft tissue mass around the dilated bowel (Criterion II). The judgment based on the CT findings.
Results. Eighty-eight cases proved to have bowel obstruction. With Criterion I, the sensitivity was 59.1%, and specificity, 88%: with Criterion II, the sensitivity was 56.3% and specificity 100%. If either of them was considered to be a positive sign of organic obstruction, the sensitivity was 100%, the specificity 88% and the accuracy 97.3%. The nature of the obstructions were precisely predicted in 76 patients (86%).
Conclusions. With these two simple criteria, CT scan can achieve high accuracy and is a recommendation in virtually every instance when intestinal obstruction is suspected.
[Chin Med J (Taipei) 1996;58:108-13.]
Keywords: computed tomography, intestine obstruction
Received: September 5, 1995.
Accepted: April 15, 1996.
Address reprint requests to:
Chien-Fang Yang, MD
Department of Radiology
Veterans General Hospital-Kaohsiung
386, Ta-Chung 1st Road
Kaohsiung, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Copyright: 1996, Chinese Medical Association (Taipei)