In a single-center retrospective study, the contrast-enhanced CT images from 226 patients with pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) were blindly assessed for bowel wall enhancement by two independent radiologists to evaluate the CT feature’s diagnostic performance in determining concomitant bowel ischemia, a requirement for bowel resection. Discordances in CT bowel enhancement were classed by a third reader as: normal, doubtful and absent bowel wall enhancement. Absent or doubtful bowel wall enhancement were found to be the CT features most strongly associated with bowel ischemia and acute mesenteric ischemia. Therefore, in patients with PI, contrast-enhanced CT is essential for selecting patients requiring therapeutic surgical resection and for avoiding non-therapeutic laparotomies.
Home › News › CT enhancement of bowel wall is a crucial indicator of bowel ischemia in pneumatosis intestinalis and can help prevent non-therapeutic laparotomies