Value of computed tomography and abdominal ultrasound for chronic inflammatory complications of diverticular disease

Abstract

Aim: to evaluate the diagnostic value of computed tomography (CT) and abdominal ultrasound (US) for chronic inflammatory complications in patients with diverticular disease (DD).Patients and Methods: the prospective cohort study included 50 patients with complicated DD. All patients underwent preoperative abdominal CT with intravenous contrast and abdominal US, with further elective bowel resection. The results of CT and ultrasound were compared with morphology of the removed specimens.Results: the sensitivity and specificity for chronic diverticulitis was 66.7% and 95.7% for CT and 100.0% and 95.7% for US. For chronic pericolic abdominal mass it was 94.8% and 90.9% for CT, 94.8% and 100.0% for US; for abdominal abscesses/cavities it was 87.5% and 96.2% for CT and 91.6% and 100.0% for US; for diverticular fistulas it was 87.5% and 100.0% for CT and 87.5% and 100.0% for US. No significant differences were obtained between two diagnostic modalities. A high level of consistency (κ-coefficient 0.71) of CT and US for the diagnosis of inflammatory complications of DD was found. Conclusion: CT and US have a similar high diagnostic value for chronic inflammatory complications of DD. Each of them can be used as a single diagnostic modality or both depending on the clinical case.