[X-ray computed tomography in surveillance of colorectal cancers treated by radical surgery]

This retrospective study covered 44 patients treated by abdominoperineal amputation (17 normal postoperative cases, 25 relapses, 2 abscesses) and 13 patients with disease recurrence after resection of a colorectal cancer. Twenty-nine of the 38 relapses occurred in less than two years. Recurrent lesions after abdominoperineal amputation (25 cases) were convex and generally larger than 3 cm in diameter; 13 of these lesions invaded contiguous structures. Endoscopic findings were positive for 11 of the 13 post-resection relapses whereas CT was positive in only 9 of the 13 cases (but included the 2 cases not diagnosed by endoscopy). 13 cases were punctured under CT guidance, but results were positive in only 11 cases. Endoscopy remains the first examination that should be performed for the follow-up of colic resections, but CT should be performed systematically when monitoring patients who have undergone abdominoperineal amputation.