[Two-dimensional and three-dimensional CT diagnosis of alimentary tract]

The recent development of multidetector-row CT(MDCT) has made it possible to obtain three-dimensional images of the alimentary tract that offer new diagnostic potential. In its two-dimensional diagnosis of the alimentary tract, MDCT has also changed the concept of the oral contrast agent. Before MDCT, we routinely used a positive contrast agent to distinguish the stomach and intestine from other organs and masses. The excellent slice profile acquired by MDCT can distinguish the alimentary tract and depict abnormal findings without the use of a positive contrast agent. With the use of an intravenous contrast medium, the alimentary tract itself, alimentary tumors, and inflammatory disease are well demarcated with water and air. Moreover, the combination of two-dimensional and three-dimensional diagnostic images makes it possible to detect and assess early gastric and colonic cancers as conventional gastroscopy and colonoscopy. Although the lack of texture information is one of the disadvantages of three-dimensional CT, three-dimensional CT diagnosis of the alimentary tract is less invasive and more objective than conventional studies. Advances in three-dimensional imaging with isotropic data sets will lead to the use of two-dimensional and three-dimensional CT diagnosis as one of the standard examinations of the alimentary tract.