Beyond appendicitis: ultrasound findings of acute bowel pathology

Bowel pathology is a common unexpected finding on routine abdominal and pelvic ultrasound. However, radiologists are often unfamiliar with the ultrasound appearance of the gastrointestinal tract due to the underutilization of ultrasound for bowel evaluation in the USA. The purpose of this article is to familiarize radiologists with the characteristic ultrasound features of a variety of bowel pathologies. Basic ultrasound technique for bowel evaluation, ultrasound appearance of normal bowel, and key ultrasound features of common acute bowel abnormalities will be reviewed.