Small bowel faeces sign in patients without small bowel obstruction

AIM: To evaluate frequency and clinical relevance of the 'small bowel faeces' sign (SBFS) on computed tomography (CT) in patients with and without small bowel obstruction (SBO) presenting with acute abdominal or acute abdominal and flank pain. METHODS: Abdominal CTs of consecutive patients presenting to the emergency department with abdominal or flank pain over a 6 month period were retrospectively reviewed by six radiologists, independently, for the presence of the SBFS. Examinations with positive SBFS were further evaluated in consensus by three radiologists, blinded to the final diagnosis. The small bowel was graded as non-dilated (<2.5 cm) and mildly (2.5-2.9 cm), moderately (3-4 cm) or severely (>4 cm) dilated. The location of SBFS and presence of distal small bowel collapse indicative of SBO was recorded. Imaging findings were subsequently correlated with the final diagnosis via chart review and compared between patients with and without SBO. RESULTS: Of 1642 CT examinations, a positive SBFS was found in 100 (6%) studies. Of 100 patients with a positive SBFS, 32 (32%) had documented SBO. The remaining 68 patients had other non-obstructive diagnoses. SBFS was located in proximal, central, distal and multisegmental bowel loops in one (3.1%), eight (25.0%), 21 (65.6%) and two (6.3%) patients with SBO, and in zero (0%), 10 (14.7%), 53 (77.9%) and five (7.4%) of patients without SBO (p<0.273). The small bowel was non-dilated and mildly, moderately or severely dilated in one (3%), five (16%), 20 (62%) and six (19%) patients with SBO, and in 61(90%), seven (10%), zero (0%) and zero (0%) patients without SBO. Normal or mildly dilated small bowel was seen in all (100%) patients without SBO, but only in six (19%) of 32 patients with SBO (p<0.0001). Moderate or severe small bowel dilatation was seen in 26 (81%) patients with SBO (p<0.0001), but it was absent in patients without SBO. Distal small bowel collapse was found in 27 (84.4%) of 32 patients with SBO, but not in patients without SBO (p<0.0001). A combination of SBFS, moderate or severe small bowel distension and distal collapse was found in 23 (71.9%) patients with SBO (p<0.0001), but was not found in patients without SBO. CONCLUSION: A SBFS is more frequent in patients presenting with acute abdominal/flank pain without bowel obstruction. When seen in association with moderate or severe small bowel dilatation, a SBFS is significantly more common in patients with SBO. When a SBFS is associated with normal or mildly dilated small bowel, the majority of patients have no bowel obstruction.     

Multidetector row CT of small bowel obstruction

State-of-the-art multidetector row CT (MDCT) technology has revolutionized abdominal imaging. The ability of CT to determine if bowel obstruction is present, to localize the obstructive site, to determine degree of obstruction, to diagnose the presence of closed-loop obstruction, and to identify ischemia or perforation of the involved bowel is well established. This article illustrates the usefulness of MDCT in the evaluation of small bowel obstruction and related conditions in adults and emphasizes the benefits of advanced CT applications.     

儿童小肠机械性梗阻的CT诊断

目的 探讨CT检查对儿童小肠机械性梗阻的诊断价值。方法 分析31例手术确诊为小肠机械性梗阻患者的腹部X线平片与CT表现。年龄9个月至14岁,男17例,女14例。急性小肠梗阻29例,慢性小肠梗阻2例。其中7例有腹部手术史。结果 腹部X线平片与CT准确显示梗阻程度分别为19例和29例。CT准确显示梗阻病因18例,包括小肠石4例,肠套叠5例,腹腔局部感染渗出粘连6例,腔内型肠重复畸形1例,先天性脐疝1例,先天性肠旋转不良1例。本组7例有腹部手术史者全部为粘连性梗阻,结合手术史,CT准确判断病因25例。腹部X线平片与CT假阴性诊断分别为4例和2例。结论 CT对发现肠绞窄和肠壁积气的敏感性较腹平片高。CT显示狭窄移行段的形态有助于判断病因,对梗阻病因的判断CT明显优于腹部X线平片。可为临床确定治疗方案提供比较可靠的依据。     

Helical CT in the diagnosis of small bowel obstruction.

With recent technologic developments, the role of computed tomography (CT) in the diagnosis of bowel obstruction has expanded. CT is recommended when clinical and initial radiographic findings remain indeterminate or strangulation is suspected. This modality clearly demonstrates pathologic processes involving the bowel wall as well as the mesentery, mesenteric vessels, and peritoneal cavity. CT should be performed with intravenous injection of contrast material, and use of thin sections is recommended to evaluate a particular region of interest. CT is reported to have a sensitivity of 78%-100% for the detection of complete or high-grade small bowel obstruction but may not allow accurate diagnosis in cases involving incomplete obstruction. In such cases, the use of adjunct enteroclysis is indicated. Furthermore, multiplanar reformatted imaging may help identify the site, level, and cause of obstruction when axial CT findings are indeterminate. CT can also demonstrate findings that indicate the presence of closed-loop obstruction or strangulation, both of which necessitate emergency exploratory laparotomy. Unfortunately, these pathologic conditions may be missed, and patients with suspected severe obstruction or bowel ischemia in whom CT and clinical findings are widely disparate must also undergo laparotomy. In general, however, CT allows appropriate and timely management of these emergency cases.     

小肠梗阻CT表现对手术治疗的预测价值

目的：探讨小肠梗阻(SBO)CT 表现对手术治疗的预测价值。方法70例 SBO 患者按照治愈方式分为非手术治疗组与手术治疗组,回顾性比较2组间 CT 表现有无差异,分析有意义 CT 表现对于手术治疗的预测价值。结果70例 SBO 中,33例采用非手术治疗,37例采用手术治疗。移行带肠壁完全瘪陷、肠系膜水肿、腹水、肠系膜静脉淤血增粗、肠壁强化减低、肠系膜动脉和静脉强化减低出现的几率在手术治疗组显著高于非手术治疗组(P <0.05),预测手术的比数比分别为10.56、5.13、4.72、5.45、5.77、3.02、6.59。而扩张肠管内径、肠壁厚度、环靶征、肠壁积气、肠系膜血管移位、聚集和扭曲出现的几率在2组间无统计学差异。结论SBO 多种 CT 表现对其手术治疗具有预测价值,可为 SBO 的治疗提供重要信息。     

肠系膜血管 CTA在小肠梗阻治疗中的应用价值

目的：探讨肠系膜血管CTA在小肠梗阻治疗中的价值。方法70例小肠梗阻患者按照治愈方式分为非手术治疗组、手术解除梗阻组(小肠缺血组)、手术切除梗死小肠组(小肠梗死组),回顾性对比非手术治疗组和手术治疗组之间、小肠缺血组和小肠梗死组间的肠系膜血管 CTA 表现有无差异,包括肠壁强化减低、肠系膜浑浊、腹水和肠系膜血管形态异常。结果各种异常 CTA征象在非手术治疗组(33例)出现的几率均低于手术治疗组(37例),2组间差异具有统计学意义(P <0.05)。在经手术治疗的37例中,肠系膜浑浊在小肠缺血组(25例)出现的几率显著低于小肠梗死组(12例)(P <0.05),其他 CTA 征象的差异在2组间无统计学意义(P >0.05)。结论异常的肠系膜血管 CTA 表现对小肠梗阻的手术治疗具有提示价值,肠系膜浑浊征象提示可能需要手术切除梗死小肠。     

CT findings of phytobezoar associated with small bowel obstruction

The purpose of this study was to evaluate CT findings of phytobezoar associated with small bowel obstruction. We evaluated abdominal CT of 19 patients with phytobezoar. Abdominal CT of 6 patients with small bowel feces was included for the comparison. On CT we analyzed morphological features of phytobezoars such as location, number, size, shape, and the presence or absence of an encapsulating wall. The sites of the phytobezoar were in the jejunum in 12 patients (63%) and the ileum in 7 (37%). The phytobezoars were single in number in 13 patients (68%) and multiple in 6 (32%). The mean short- and long-axis diameters of the phytobezoars measured 3.2 cm (range 2.1–5.2 cm) and 5.2 cm (range 2.2–11.0 cm), respectively. The phytobezoars were ovoid in 9 patients, round in 6, and tubular in 4. On CT, phytobezoars appeared as gas-containing masses in 17 patients (89%) and as a solid mass without gas in the remaining 2 patients (11%). An encapsulating wall was noted in 6 patients (32%). Small bowel feces were much more tubular in shape but did not have encapsulating wall on CT. The CT imaging is useful in making the diagnosis of phytobezoar associated with small bowel obstruction. Electronic Publication     

Small volume hyperosmolar abdominal CT in acute small bowel obstruction

Purpose: Identification of the degree of small bowel obstruction (SBO) is helpful in patient management decisions since the treatment of partial SBO is nonoperative, whereas the treatment of complete SBO requires surgical intervention. We describe a technique providing the benefits of CT and enteroclysis together, which allows the radiologist to determine the degree of the SBO and thereby to distinguish partial from complete SBO. Methods and materials: Abdominal CT scans were performed on 21 patients. Patients were given 200 ml concentrated oral contrast medium. Serial radiographs followed the progression of contrast at 1, 3, and 5 h in order to optimize the timing of the abdominal CT. A partial SBO was diagnosed if the oral contrast reached the colon at or before the 5-h film, and a complete SBO if the oral contrast did not reach the colon by the 5-h abdominal radiograph. The CT was performed when the contrast reached the colon or after the 5-h film. Results: CT findings demonstrated complete obstruction in eight patients, all of whom required surgical treatment. Partial SBO was demonstrated in 13 patients. Ten of the 13 patients with partial SBO had an uncomplicated transition zone, probably due to adhesions, and were treated medically. Nine of these patients were managed with nasogastric tube decompression and were discharged without surgical intervention. One patient failed to respond to a 12-h course of nasogastric tube decompression and underwent lysis of adhesions. Three of the 13 patients had a complicated transition zone, due to an intussusception and two hernias, which were responsible for the SBO. Two were treated surgically and one medically. Conclusion: The use of small-volume hyperosmolar abdominal CT allows the radiologist to determine the degree of the SBO. This additional information is very useful in patient management because uncomplicated partial SBO is often treated successfully via tube decompression, whereas complete SBO requires surgical intervention.     

The efficacy of helical CT in the diagnosis of small bowel obstruction

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the usefulness and reliability of helical computed tomography (CT) for patients with small bowel obstruction. METHODS AND MATERIAL: Helical CT findings of 41 patients were evaluated prospectively on the basis of the presence and the cause of obstruction, and the presence of strangulation. RESULTS: In the determination of the cause of the obstruction sensitivity and specificity of CT were 84 and 90%, respectively. Of the 19 patients undergoing surgery, 6 had strangulation and were correctly identified by CT. CONCLUSION: Helical CT is an accurate method in the detection of small bowel obstruction, especially for evaluating the cause and vascular complications of obstruction.     

Helical CT diagnosis of small bowel obstruction in the acute clinical setting

Definite confirmation or exclusion closed loop obstruction (CLO) is one of the most difficult tasks the radiologist has to face in the clinical practice. Aim of this retrospective work was to study the value of spiral computed tomography (CT) in the diagnosis of closed loop obstruction complicated by intestinal ischemia. The state of the art CT signs of closed loop obstruction were taken into consideration. Serrated beaks with poor or no contrast enhancement of the bowel walls, ascites or engorgement of the mesenteric vasculature allowed the CT diagnosis of CLO complicated by ischaemia. U or C-sharped of dilated loops, radial distribution of the mesenteric vessels, beaks and whirls suggested CLO, but did not help differentiate CLO from strangulation. CLO is a dynamic entity which may regress or need laparotomy depending on the time and degree of rotation of the incarcerated loops. CT is a reliable imaging modality able to differentiate CLO from strangulation, which is rarely simple and obvious. Detection of ischemic changes in the bowel walls and/or attached mesentery on CT scans imply strangulation highlighting the need for laparotomy; if only signs of CLO are detected, the existence and/or development of strangulation cannot be predicted.     

Closed-loop obstruction of the small bowel: CT and sonographic appearance

Two patients with closed loop obstruction diagnosed by CT and sonography are reported. Abdominal radiograph was nonspecific. The characteristic CT and sonographic features included (a) isolated conglomerate of dilated, fluid-filled bowel loops; (b) fixation of these "U" shaped distended loops; (c) thickened bowel wall; and (d) extraluminal fluid.     

Frequency and relevance of the "small-bowel feces" sign on CT in patients with small-bowel obstruction

OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the incidence of the "small-bowel feces" sign (SBFS) in patients with small-bowel obstruction (SBO) and whether it can be used to accurately locate the point of obstruction. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: From November 2002 until March 2003, 34 consecutive adult patients with CT findings of small-bowel obstruction were prospectively evaluated. The CT findings used to diagnose small-bowel obstruction were a dilated proximal small bowel and a collapsed distal small bowel and colon. CT scans were evaluated to determine the degree of obstruction (mild, moderate, or high-grade), the presence or absence of the SBFS (defined as particulate-type material in the dilated small bowel), the location of the SBFS in relation to the transition zone, and the cause of the obstruction. Mild obstruction was defined as a slight discrepancy between the caliber of the proximal and that of the distal small bowel; moderate SBO was defined as a discrepancy of 50% or more between the calibers of the proximal and the distal small bowel; and high-grade SBO was considered to be present if the distal small bowel and the colon had collapsed. The cause of the obstruction was determined from surgical findings or a combination of CT findings, follow-up barium studies, and clinical assessment. RESULTS: The SBFS was present in 19 (55.9%) of 34 patients with SBO. The degree of SBO was mild in six, moderate in 11, and high-grade in 17 of the patients. The SBFS was present in one of the six patients (16.6%) with mild, eight (72.7%) of the 11 with moderate, and 10 (58.8%) of the 17 with high-grade SBO. In all patients in whom the SBFS was present, the particulate material could be traced to the point of transition and was most conspicuous in the transition zone. The length of fecallike material ranged from 2 to 25 cm and was longer in moderate and high-grade SBO than in mild SBO. The cause of the SBO was an adhesion in 20 patients, a hernia in four patients, Crohn's disease in four patients, a tumor in three patients, and other miscellaneous causes in three patients. CONCLUSION: When present on CT, the SBFS can be used to help locate the transition zone in patients with SBO. The sign is present more frequently in patients with moderate and high degrees of SBO.     

植物粪石性急性小肠梗阻的CT诊断

目的:探讨植物粪石性急性小肠梗阻(SBO)的CT表现和诊断价值。方法:回顾性分析经外科手术证实的12例植物粪石性急性SBO患者的临床资料和CT表现。结果:12例小肠植物粪石均为单发,其中3例同时伴有胃内粪石。小肠粪石大小3 cm×3.5 cm～4.2 cm×5 cm,在CT上均表现为一个边缘清楚的卵圆形或圆形含有气泡的斑点状软组织肿块,位于梗阻部位的管腔内,其中位于十二指肠1例,空肠4例,回肠7例。所有病例均显示粪石近段小肠扩张(管径>3 cm),远侧小肠突然萎陷。结论:小肠植物粪石具有特征性的CT表现,CT检查是诊断植物粪石性急性SBO的最佳方法。     

CT of small bowel obstruction secondary to a cocaine-filled condom

Drug smuggling is prevalent in our society. It is now frequently seen in the emergency room as an acute life-threatening emergency. The following case describes one such patient with an emphasis on the CT findings in these cases. Electronic Publication     

CT findings in patients with small bowel obstruction due to phytobezoar

The role of CT in evaluating patients with small bowel obstruction (SBO) has been extensively described in the current literature. We present the CT findings of SBO due to a phytobezoar, afterwards surgically confirmed, in 5 men and 1 woman (aged 32–89 years) out of 95 patients diagnosed by CT as having SBO in a 44-month period. These six patients underwent abdominal CT prior to operation and the CT findings were retrospectively reviewed. All six patients presented with clinical symptoms and signs of SBO; three of them had undergone gastric surgery 13, 17, and 22 years earlier, respectively. In all six cases, CT showed an ovoid intraluminal mass, 3×5 cm in size and of a mottled appearance, at the transition zone between dilated and collapsed small bowel loops. This was in contrast to feces-like material (the small bowel feces sign), seen within dilated small bowel loops in nine patients with SBO, and was typically longer. As CT is frequently performed for suspected SBO, an ovoid, short intraluminal mottled mass seen at the site of an obstruction may be regarded as a pathognomonic preoperative sign of an obstructing phytobezoar.     

Peristalsis gap sign at cine magnetic resonance imaging for diagnosing strangulated small bowel obstruction: feasibility study

Purpose

The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for diagnosing strangulated small bowel obstruction (SBO).

Materials and methods

This study included 38 patients with clinically confirmed SBO who had undergone cine MRI. Cine MRI scans were evaluated regarding the presence of the ??peristalsis gap sign?? (referring to an akinetic or severely hypokinetic closed loop), indicating strangulation. Computed tomography (CT) was performed in 34 of 38 patients with (n = 25) or without (n = 9) contrast enhancement. CT images were evaluated using a combination of criteria (presence of hyperattenuation, poor contrast enhancement, mesenteric edema, wall thickening, massive ascites) indicating strangulation. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of cine MRI and CT for the diagnosis of strangulation were calculated and compared using surgical findings and the clinical course as the reference standard.

Results

Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of cine MRI were 100%, 92.9%, 83.3%, and 100%, respectively; and those of CT (of which 26.5% was performed without contrast enhancement) were 66.7%, 92.0%, 75.0%, and 88.5%, respectively. There was no significant difference in diagnostic accuracy between the two methods (P = 0.375).

Conclusion

Cine MRI is a feasible and promising technique for diagnosing strangulation.