| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Review |
1 From the Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis St, Boston, MA 02115. Received September 17, 2001; revision requested November 15; revision received December 21; accepted January 22, 2002. Address correspondence to P.R.R. (e-mail: pros@partners.org).
Bowel ischemia may be caused by many conditions and manifest with typical or atypical and specific or nonspecific clinical, laboratory, and radiologic findings. It may mimic various intestinal diseases and be confused with certain nonischemic conditions clinically and at computed tomography (CT). Bowel ischemia severity ranges from mild (generally transient superficial changes of intestinal mucosa) to more dangerous and potentially life-threatening transmural bowel wall necrosis. Causes of critically reduced blood flow to the bowel are diverse, ranging from occlusions of mesenteric arteries or veins to complicated bowel obstruction and overdistention. CT can demonstrate changes in ischemic bowel segments accurately, is often helpful in determining the primary cause of ischemia, and can demonstrate important coexistent findings or complications. Unfortunately, common CT findings in bowel ischemia are not specific, and specific findings are rather uncommon. Therefore, it often is a combination of nonspecific clinical, laboratory, and radiologic findings—especially detailed knowledge about the pathogenesis of acute bowel ischemia in different conditions—that helps most in correct interpretation of CT findings. To improve understanding of this complex heterogeneous entity, this article provides an overview of the anatomy and physiology of mesenteric perfusion and discussions of causes and pathogenesis of acute bowel ischemia, CT findings in various types of acute bowel ischemia, and potential pitfalls of CT.
© RSNA, 2003
Index terms: Colitis, ischemic, 75.266 • Intestines, CT, 74.12111, 74.12112, 75.12111, 75.12112 • Intestines, infarction, 74.266, 75.266 • Intestines, ischemia, 74.266, 75.266 • Review
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  M. De Filippo, C. Sagone, and M. Zompatori Unenhanced MDCT Findings of Acute Bowel Ischemia Am. J. Roentgenol., April 1, 2008; 190(4): W271 - W271. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. T. Johnson, K. M. Horton, and E. K. Fishman Case 127: Henoch-Schonlein Purpura Radiology, December 1, 2007; 245(3): 909 - 913. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. A. Mancuso, Y. Y. Cheung, A. M. Silas, J. D. Chertoff, and K. W. Dickey Case 120: Ischemic Colitis Limited to the Cecum Radiology, September 1, 2007; 244(3): 919 - 922. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 I. G. Hagan and K. Burney Radiology of Recreational Drug Abuse RadioGraphics, July 1, 2007; 27(4): 919 - 940. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Macari, A. J. Megibow, and E. J. Balthazar A Pattern Approach to the Abnormal Small Bowel: Observations at MDCT and CT Enterography Am. J. Roentgenol., May 1, 2007; 188(5): 1344 - 1355. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. F. Thoeni and J. P. Cello CT Imaging of Colitis Radiology, September 1, 2006; 240(3): 623 - 638. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 F. Cattaruzza, N. Cenac, E. Barocelli, M. Impicciatore, E. Hyun, N. Vergnolle, and C. Sternini Protective Effect of Proteinase-Activated Receptor 2 Activation on Motility Impairment and Tissue Damage Induced by Intestinal Ischemia/Reperfusion in Rodents Am. J. Pathol., July 1, 2006; 169(1): 177 - 188. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. K. Chou, R. H. Wu, C.-W. Mak, and M.-P. Lin Clinical Significance of Poor CT Enhancement of the Thickened Small-Bowel Wall in Patients with Acute Abdominal Pain Am. J. Roentgenol., February 1, 2006; 186(2): 491 - 498. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Hata, T. Kamada, K. Haruma, and H. Kusunoki Evaluation of Bowel Ischemia with Contrast-enhanced US: Initial Experience Radiology, August 1, 2005; 236(2): 712 - 715. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
N. Takeyama, T. Gokan, Y. Ohgiya, S. Satoh, T. Hashizume, K. Hataya, H. Kushiro, M. Nakanishi, M. Kusano, and H. Munechika CT of Internal Hernias RadioGraphics, July 1, 2005; 25(4): 997 - 1015. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. Ripolles, L. Simo, M. J. Martinez-Perez, M. R. Pastor, A. Igual, and A. Lopez Sonographic Findings in Ischemic Colitis in 58 Patients Am. J. Roentgenol., March 1, 2005; 184(3): 777 - 785. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Ahualli The Target Sign: Bowel Wall Radiology, February 1, 2005; 234(2): 549 - 550. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| RADIOLOGY | RADIOGRAPHICS | RSNA JOURNALS ONLINE |
