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Significance of bowel wall thickening on computed tomography scan: higher risk of pathology among African Americans
Pikeshkumar Patel1, David Widjaja, Steve Blum
1Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center, Bronx, New York 10457, USA.
Purpose:
The aims of our study were to examine the role of colonoscopy as further workup for bowel wall thickening reported on computed tomography (CT) scans and to investigate whether there were significant differences in pathology found among the racial groups in our study population.
Methods:
This is a retrospective study from March 2005 and January 2007 of all patients who have undergone colonoscopy for bowel wall thickening found on CT scans of the abdomen.
Results:
Of 94 patients with bowel wall thickening on CT scans, 7 (8%) had adenocarcinoma, 5 (5%) had large adenomas, 3 (3%) had infectious colitis, 2 (2%) ischemic colitis, 1 (1%) had inflammatory bowel disease, and 1 (1%) had a benign stricture. Bowel wall thickening on CT scan predicted clinical pathology in 34% of African Americans, as compared to 14% of Hispanics. Patients with significant pathology were more likely to have anemia and lower albumin levels.
Conclusion:
Patients with bowel wall thickening found on CT scans should be referred for colonoscopy, given that significant pathology is found in 20% of the cases. African Americans were 2.5 times more likely to have clinically significant pathology as compared to Hispanics.
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