[Computed tomography in the diagnostic approach to acute mesenteric ischemia]

Intestinal ischemia is an uncommon disorder, whose incidence is nevertheless increasing and whose mortality remains high. The major cause of its poor prognosis is represented by the diagnostic delay depending on the poor specificity and late onset of the various clinical, biohumoral and radiographic signs associated with bowel infarction. On the one hand, the aspecificity of clinico-humoral findings and on the other hand its invasiveness prevent a broad use of angiography and call for the introduction of noninvasive methods. In our experience on 17 cases, Computed Tomography (CT), exhibiting sensitivity and specificity fairly higher than conventional radiology, makes a valid diagnostic tool in the examination of acute abdomen patients in general and in vascular emergencies in particular. With CT, diagnostic accuracy is fairly increased in acute mesenteric insufficiency. CT allows this condition to be detected earlier than conventional radiology and permits the early recognition, in a larger number of cases, of the patients who will benefit most from a surgical or radiologic treatment.