Diagnostic performance of contrast enhanced computed tomography in intestinal obstruction

Intestinal obstruction (IO) is a frequent cause of admission to the surgery and emergency departments. For the prevention of complications, such as ischemia and perforation, early recognition of IO is crucial. Computed tomography (CT) provides excellent details regarding cause, site & complications of IO and also helps in treatment planning.To evaluate the efficacy and accuracy of CECT imaging in diagnosing IO and detecting complications. To correlate CECT findings with surgical or histopathological findings. A prospective study was conducted in the Department of Radiology, Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India for a period of 2 years from September 2020 to September 2022. Fifty patients with suspected intestinal obstruction were evaluated, after obtaining informed consent. Data was analysed using SPSS 22 version software. Male predominance was seen in this study, males constituted 58% and females 42%. The commonest age group affected was 41-50 years .Small bowel obstruction (SBO) was much more prevalent than large bowel obstruction (LBO). The most common site of BO was ileum. The leading cause of SBO was adhesions and in LBO was bowel malignancy. IO is a fairly common presentation in clinical and radiological practice. There are various causes as well as mimickers of IO, which makes it a challenging task to accurately diagnose. CECT helps in treatment planning by providing information about bowel viability. We found it is extremely useful to include CECT study as a standard protocol in evaluation of patients presenting with bowel obstruction.