Transabdominal ultrasound in the initial assessment of adult bowel diseases

Transabdominal ultrasound is increasingly chosen as the initial imaging technique in the radiological work-up of bowel abnormalities in adults because ultrasound can provide substantial information about gastrointestinal disorders. In the presence of pathological changes in the intestine, sonographic findings, such as thickening of the bowel wall, changes in the perienteric fat and vascularity, have recognizable and reproducible appearances (Kuzmich et al, 2009). Although the diagnostic quality of ultrasound can be compromised by bowel gas and obesity, ultrasound has a number of strengths, including its ability to allow real-time correlation between the sonographic findings and the area of maximum tenderness combined with excellent spatial resolution, wide availability, lack of radiation and its non-invasive nature. This article illustrates the key sonographic features of commonly encountered bowel disorders in adults and highlights ultrasound techniques that may assist in diagnosis.