The role of radiology in diagnosing gastrointestinal tract perforation

Spontaneous, iatrogenic or surgical perforation of the whole gastrointestinal wall can lead to serious complications, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality. Optimal patient management requires early clinical appraisal and prompt imaging evaluation. Both radiologists and referring clinicians should recognize the importance of choosing the ideal imaging modality and the usefulness of oral and rectal contrast medium. Surgeons and radiologists should be familiar with CT and fluoroscopy findings of the normal and pathologic anatomy after esophageal, stomach or colon surgery. Specifically, they should be able to differentiate innocuous from clinically-relevant, life-threatening postoperative complications to guide appropriate treatment. Advantages of esophagram, CT-esophagram, CT after rectal contrast enema and other imaging modalities are discussed.