Clinical application of MSCT in diagnosis of intestinal obstruction

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of various multiple slice computed tomography (MSCT) and its reconstruction techniques in diagnosing intestinal obstruction (IO). METHODS: 419 cases diagnosed as IO by MSCT and proved by operations or follow up were analysed, retrospectively. RESULT: As to the presence diagnosis of IO, in all the patients, CT diagnosis was consistent with the final results, while X-ray plain film had an accuracy of only 60.5% (237/392). The causes of IO included adhesion 88.6% (117/132), neoplasm 98.2% (112/114), external or internal hernia 93.5% (43/46), intussusception 97.4% (37/38), inflammatory disease (including 7 cases paralytic ileus, 83.3%, 30/36), enterolith 88.5% (23/26), bowel torsion 90.9% (10/11), trauma 62.5% (5/8), ischemia 100% (6/6), congenital lesion (100%, 2/2). Total sensitivity of etiology diagnosis with CT was 92.8% (384/419), with accuracy, false positive and false negative to be 91.9% (385/419), 1.0% (4/419) and 7.2% (31/419), respectively. CONCLUSION: MSCT can correctly diagnose the presence of the ileus, as well as can obviously enhance the accurate rate of diagnosis of its causes and characteristics, position, existence of close-loop and strangulation.