Abdominal CT scan may be helpful in the diagnosis of bowel obstruction. Findings on CT scan suggestive of bowel obstruction include dilated bowel loops with air-fluid level, distal collapsed bowel, in addition to, "Target", "Whirl" and "Venous cut-off" signs.
It is recommended to perform an X-ray first, especially if intervention is needed immediately, since X-rays are readily available, afford less radiation to the patient and are more cost effective.
However, CT scan is more effective at determining those cases that need surgical intervention and can provide more surgical detail.
Sensitivity and specificity of CT scanning according to slice margin[edit | edit source]
Slice thickness (mm)
Sensitivity
Specificity
50
79
87
5 -10
87
81
0.75
96
100
The comparison table for diagnostic studies of choice for bowel obstruction[5][edit | edit source]
↑Balthazar EJ (1994). "George W. Holmes Lecture. CT of small-bowel obstruction". AJR Am J Roentgenol. 162 (2): 255–61. doi:10.2214/ajr.162.2.8310906. PMID8310906.
↑ 5.05.1Suri S, Gupta S, Sudhakar PJ, Venkataramu NK, Sood B, Wig JD (1999). "Comparative evaluation of plain films, ultrasound and CT in the diagnosis of intestinal obstruction". Acta Radiol. 40 (4): 422–8. PMID10394872.