Computer tomography of the abdomen in patients with uncharacteristic abdominal disturbances

Computer tomography (CT) was performed on 48 patients with uncharacteristic abdominal disturbances. Pathological CT findings were encountered in five patients, namely hepatic steatosis in three patients, liver metastases in one, and occlusion of the inferior vena cava in one. CT may be indicated in patients with uncharacteristic abdominal disorders when other investigations are negative. In some patients the negative result of the CT examination for organic disease was of great importance for the psychiatric approach to these patients' psychosomatic disease. In spite of this, the positive yield of abdominal CT seems to be highest when other less expensive examinations or tests have suggested abnormality of abdominal organs.