Misleading interpretations of distended post-op bowel images in Helical CT scan
Eustathia Kailidou 1, Emmanuel G. Pavlakis 1, Vasiliki Katsiva 1, Euthimios Avgerinos 1, Michael Tibishrani 1, Konstantinos Vlasis 1, Nicolas Condilis 3, Panayiotis Skandalakis 1, Evaggelos Pikoulis 1, Dimitrios Filippou 1
Affiliations
Article Info
1 Department of Surgery, Asklipeion Hospital, Athens, Greece, Department of Radiology, and, 1st Department of General Surgery, Tzaneio General Hospital, Piraeus, Greece
2 Department of Radiology, Thriasion Hospital, Athens, Greece, Department of Radiology, and, 1st Department of General Surgery, Tzaneio General Hospital, Piraeus, Greece
3 National Centre of Emergency Care – E.K.A.B., Athens, Greece, Department of Radiology, and, 1st Department of General Surgery, Tzaneio General Hospital, Piraeus, Greece
Abstract
Differential diagnosis of distended post-op colon can be misleading when based solely to imaging findings. A case report of an artefact giving the impression of faecal leak or foreign body (gossypiboma) in Spiral Computerized Tomography after colonic surgery is presented. The patient was managed conservatively due to the lack of clinical evidence of abdominal emergency. A second CT scan twenty days later revealed no findings besides minor colonic diverticulas.
Keywords
- Bowel wall thickness
- Distended colon
- Gossypiboma
- Anastomotic leakage
- Spongiform mass