Utility of computed tomographic enteroclysis for the general surgeon(1)

Enteroclysis uses contrast fluid distention of the small bowel through a jejunal catheter with flouroscopic imaging to identify abnormalities. Computed tomograpic enteroclysis (CT-E) adds cross-sectional imaging to identify small bowel pathology to include masses, gastrointestinal bleeding of unknown origin, and partial obstruction. Computed tomography-enteroclysis is being used more frequently in the assessment of patients with possible small bowel pathology. This study examines the applicability of CT-E and its superiority over conventional enteroclysis.A retrospective chart review was used to examine all CT-E and enteroclysis studies performed at our institution during a 24-month period (August 1997 to August 1999). All patients that had received CT-E or enteroclysis were divided into 3 categories; group I: small bowel mass, group II: gastrointestinal bleeding, and group III: partial small bowel obstruction (pSBO). All patients included had received other radiological procedures based on the indication for examination to include esophagogastroduodenoscopy, colonoscopy, CT, abdominal x-rays, barium enema, and upper gastrointestinal with small bowel follow-through.Forty-nine studies were performed, with enteroclysis or CT-E, used in 46 patients. Median age was 62 years (M:F, 1:1). In group 1 (n = 10), no masses were noted, but all patients identified as having a mass on previous studies (n = 6) were determined not to have a mass by CT-E (n = 1) and enteroclysis (n = 5). In group II (n = 19), 1 small bowel source (jejujunal arteriovenous malformation) was identified through CT-E, and all other studies in both categories were negative/normal. In group III (n = 20), 5 pSBO were identified through CT-E that had not been previously described.Enteroclysis and CT-E are both effective at disproving the presence of small bowel masses discovered through less-specific radiological methods. In terms of gastrointestinal bleeding, CT-E is as effective as enteroclysis at identifying source of bleeding and may have an added role through its ability to better identify anatomic relationships. Computed tomography-enteroclysis was able to determine the presence of pSBO in 5 patients that previously had been undiagnosed. In conclusion, enteroclysis remains an effective radiological study for examination of the small bowel. Computed tomography-enteroclysis matches that effectiveness with the added benefit on high-resolution anatomic images that serve it well as an additional diagnostic tool for the General Surgeon in patients with difficult to diagnose small bowel pathology.