[Diagnosis and definition of anastomotic leakage from the radiologist's perspective]

Anastomotic leakage is a typical complication in gastrointestinal surgery. The frequency of occurrence and symptoms depend on the location of the intervention in the gastrointestinal tract. Consensus definitions have been published for bile leakage, pancreatic fistulas and colorectal leakage but there is still no overall standard classification for anastomotic leakage after surgical intervention in the gastrointestinal tract. Hence, there are also no standard guidelines for a diagnostic algorithm. Radiological techniques for the diagnosis of an anastomotic leakage include sonography, X-ray, fluoroscopy and computed tomography (CT). Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC) could be helpful for the diagnosis of a leakage of a biliary enteric anastomosis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays a subordinate role in the diagnosis of anastomotic leakage.