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Detection of gastrointestinal bleeding by using multislice computed tomography--acute and chronic hemorrhages

Erick Amarteifio1, Christian Sohns, Markus Heuser

  • 1Department of Radiology, Georg-August-University Goettingen, 37099 Goettingen, Germany.

Clinical Imaging
|January 1, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Computed tomography (CT) effectively diagnoses gastrointestinal bleeding. Contrast-enhanced helical multislice CT (MSCT) successfully located acute bleeding sites in 55% of cases, proving its diagnostic value.

Area of Science:

  • Radiology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Gastrointestinal bleeding is a significant clinical concern.
  • Computed tomography (CT) is a standard diagnostic modality.
  • Evaluating the efficacy of advanced CT techniques is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the diagnostic utility of contrast-medium-enhanced helical multislice CT (MSCT) for gastrointestinal bleeding.
  • To determine the detection rates for acute and chronic gastrointestinal hemorrhages using MSCT.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 53 patients.
  • Utilized contrast-medium-enhanced helical multislice CT (MSCT) to identify bleeding sources.
  • Categorized bleeding into acute and chronic types.

Main Results:

  • Seventy-nine percent of analyzed hemorrhages were acute gastrointestinal bleedings.
  • Helical MSCT successfully located 55% of acute bleeding sites.
  • Chronic bleeding sites were detected in 45% of cases, with diverticula, tumors, and angiodysplasias being well visualized.

Conclusions:

  • Contrast-medium-enhanced MSCT is an effective noninvasive tool for diagnosing gastrointestinal bleeding.
  • MSCT demonstrates significant value in identifying the source of both acute and chronic gastrointestinal hemorrhages.

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