Faculty Bibliography

In each of four patients in whom an acute spontaneous pneumoperitoneum developed, a vertically directed area of hyperlucency in the right upper quadrant was seen on radiographs of the abdomen obtained with the patient supine. This finding, which appeared in the absence of other characteristic signs of free air on plain radiographs and which, to the authors' knowledge, has not been previously recognized, represented intraperitoneal gas confined to the fissure for the ligamentum teres (FLT). The location of the hyperlucent area was confirmed with computed tomography or laparotomy in each patient. The distinctive configuration of air in the FLT is a subtle but reliable indicator of pneumoperitoneum

The diagnostic value of computed tomography (CT) and barium enema (BE) studies was evaluated prospectively in hospitalized patients with the presumptive diagnosis of acute sigmoid diverticulitis based on the presence of left-lower-quadrant pain and tenderness, fever, and leukocytosis. Of 56 patients, 11 had sigmoid diverticulitis confirmed at surgery and 16 by clinical response to medical therapy. CT, performed in all diverticulitis patients, had positive results in 93% (25 of 27). These compared favorably with BE study results, of which 80% (20 of 25) were positive. Neither examination had false-positive results. In the 29 patients who did not have diverticulitis, an alternative diagnosis was made by means of CT in 20, but in only three by means of BE studies. Many of the extracolonic abnormalities recognized at CT were clinically unexpected and necessitated emergency surgery. The excellent sensitivity and specificity of CT coupled with its versatility in the detection of extracolonic disease give it an advantage over contrast enema studies for diagnosis of sigmoid diverticulitis. CT should be the initial study in acutely ill patients, especially when the clinical features are atypical for sigmoid diverticulitis

We report a case of a tuberculous pancreatic abscess in a 47-year-old human immunodeficiency virus positive intravenous drug abuser. She had a prolonged febrile course and persistent abdominal pain. On CT and sonography the lesion lacked the usual ancillary features of an abscess such as diffuse pancreatic enlargement and a peripancreatic fluid collection, and more closely resembled a necrotic neoplasm

A total of 31 patients with diverticulitis were analyzed who had both computed tomography and contrast enema. There was almost equal sensitivity to abnormality of approximately 90 percent. Contrast enema produced a specific diagnosis of diverticulitis in 61 percent, using stringent positive criteria, and an additional 29 percent with suggestive findings. Comparative computed tomography specific diagnoses in those 31 cases was made in 65 percent, and suggestive in 23 percent. Computed tomography was particularly useful diagnostically in cases of retrograde obstruction on contrast enema. The authors conclude that contrast enema should be the primary mode of approach, while computed tomography can be a valuable follow-up when the diagnosis is still in doubt, or if it is possible that patient management might be altered by additional information

Intramural perforation of the colon proximal to the rectosigmoid is a rare complication of the barium enema examination. We present a case in which air and barium entered the wall of the transverse colon, and then dissected through the transverse mesocolon during double-contrast barium enema in an asymptomatic patient with no known underlying colonic disease

A 41-yr-old homosexual male had cytomegalovirus infection localized to the terminal ileum as his initial and sole evident opportunistic infection due to the acquired immune deficiency syndrome. The symptoms, signs, roentgenographic findings, and appearance at surgery were suggestive of Crohn's disease. The pathogen was identified only by microscopic examination of bowel resected during a second laparotomy. The terminal ileum had profound mucosal ulceration and transmural fibrosis without granulomas. This novel report suggests that cytomegalovirus infection should be carefully searched for in immunocompromised patients presenting with clinical features suggesting Crohn's disease

Two patients with closed loop obstruction diagnosed by CT and sonography are reported. Abdominal radiograph was nonspecific. The characteristic CT and sonographic features included (a) isolated conglomerate of dilated, fluid-filled bowel loops; (b) fixation of these 'U' shaped distended loops; (c) thickened bowel wall; and (d) extraluminal fluid

Puerperal ovarian vein thrombosis is a dangerous complication of childbirth and often leads to inferior vena cava thrombosis and multiple pulmonary emboli. Computed tomography of the abdomen is useful in early diagnosis. Two patients with typical computed tomographic features are presented