Computed Tomography Signs for Active Severe Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Gastroenterology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Active severe gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) is a critical medical condition requiring prompt diagnosis.
• Multi-detector CT angiography (CTA) is a valuable imaging modality for evaluating GIB.
• Identifying specific CT signs can aid in localizing and determining the cause of bleeding.

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize the positive imaging signs observed on multi-detector CT angiography (CTA) in patients with active severe gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB).
• To correlate CTA findings with confirmed diagnoses of GIB.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective evaluation of clinical records and CT images from 93 patients.
• Patients had confirmed active severe GIB via digital subtraction angiography (DSA), endoscopy, or surgery.
• Recorded positive CT signs indicating bleeding location and cause.

Main Results:

• Intraluminal contrast extravasation was the most frequent sign (47.3%).
• Other significant findings included vascular malformations (23.7%) and gastrointestinal tumors (19.4%).
• Less common signs included abnormal bowel mucosal enhancement (7.5%) and diverticula with abnormal enhancement (2.2%).

Conclusions:

• Positive CT signs for active severe GIB are varied.
• Careful interpretation of diverse CTA findings is essential in clinical practice for accurate diagnosis and management of GIB.