CT of abdominal barium intravasation

We report a case of barium intravasation due to misplacement of the catheter tip during a barium enema examination, leading to vaginal laceration and barium sequestration within the reticuloendothelial system of a 57-year-old woman who survived this potentially fatal event. The radiologic appearance on CT, sonography, MR, and plain radiography is presented. Computed tomography demonstrated barium sequestered by the liver, spleen, and renal cortex. The portal veins were seen as branching radiolucent densities superimposed on a dense parenchymal background.