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Colonic perforation at CT colonography: assessment of risk in a multicenter large cohort

Jacob Sosna1, Arye Blachar, Michal Amitai

  • 1Department of Radiology, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, POB 12000, Jerusalem, Israel. jacobs@hadassah.org.il

Radiology
|March 18, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Colonic perforation during computed tomographic (CT) colonography is a rare event, occurring in 0.059% of studies. Patients experiencing perforation were typically older and had underlying colonic conditions.

Area of Science:

  • Radiology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Surgical Oncology

Background:

  • Computed tomographic (CT) colonography is an alternative to conventional colonoscopy.
  • Assessing the safety of CT colonography is crucial for its clinical adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the incidence of colonic perforation during CT colonography.
  • To describe the clinical features and management of colonic perforations.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of 11,870 CT colonography studies across 11 centers.
  • Data collected included patient demographics, risk factors, perforation location, mechanism, and treatment.

Main Results:

  • Seven cases of colonic perforation occurred, yielding an incidence of 0.059%.
  • Perforations were more common in older, symptomatic patients with underlying colonic disease.
  • Four patients (57%) required surgical intervention.

Conclusions:

  • Colonic perforation is a rare complication of CT colonography.
  • Older age and pre-existing colonic conditions are risk factors for perforation.
Abstract

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