[Diagnostic imaging in the evaluation of pelvic complications in intestinal diseases]

During 12 consecutive months, 680 patients with recent pelvic symptoms were examined with ultrasonography (US). In 44 patients we found evidence of intestinal disease; 19 of them exhibited pelvic complications--11 pelvic abscesses, 3 enterovesical fistulas, 2 enterovaginal fistulas and 1 enterovesicle fistula; in 11 cases the inflammation spread to the surrounding organs. Of these 19 patients, 8 had an intestinal disease in their case history, whereas symptom onset was recent in the other 11 patients. In the latter group US yielded the first diagnostic information showing a bowel disease and other diagnostic examinations with different techniques were therefore performed. In 15 patients US indicated which type of bowel disease had caused the pelvic complications, while in 4 patients US showed a bowel disease without differentiating diverticular disease from neoplasms. In all patients US results were compared with X-ray and CT findings. In 17 patients the diagnoses were confirmed at surgery. The results we obtained from this study indicate US as an accurate method to detect not only the various pelvic conditions but also to differentiate pelvic complications of intestinal conditions from diseases originating in the pelvic organs.