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Acute bowel ischemia: analysis of diagnostic error by overlooked findings at MDCT angiography

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Abstract

To retrospectively evaluate the frequency and type of findings that were missed in the original reports of multi-detector CT angiography (MDCTA) in patients with suspected acute bowel ischemia. From January 2007 to March 2011, a series of 35 patients who underwent MDCTA of the abdomen and pelvis and had surgery were included. The reports of the initial CT were retrospectively compared with the discharge diagnosis and surgical reports. Discrepant or missing findings were re-evaluated and divided into relevant or not relevant regarding the diagnosis. In 23 of the 35 patients (66 %), all findings were correctly diagnosed in the initial MDCTA report. In the remaining 12 of the 35 patients (34 %), lesions that were not reported were present at surgery. In 10 of the 12 (83 %) patients, the overlooked findings were relevant and subtle: gas in the portal vein (n = 3), gas in the bowel wall (n = 3), gas in the portal vein and bowel wall (n = 2), thrombotic occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery (n = 1), and thrombotic occlusion of the inferior mesenteric artery (n = 1). In 2 of the 12 (17 %) patients in whom the MDCTA-overlooked findings were classified as non-relevant, bowel ischemia was found at surgery. With retrospective image interpretation, 83 % of the patients with occlusive mesenteric ischemia at surgery were correctly identified, whereas the remaining 17 % with non-occlusive mesenteric ischemia at surgery showed non-relevant findings at MDCTA. About 33 % of relevant findings of bowel ischemia were overlooked by the initial MDCTA interpretation, most were subtle findings. However, secondary reading revealed most of these findings and can serve to improve diagnostic performance.

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Abbreviations

SMA:

Superior mesenteric artery

IMA:

Inferior mesenteric artery

SMV:

Superior mesenteric vein

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank James Marsha Sternberg MD for manuscript editing and Maurizio Giovanola for his valuable technical support.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Foundation Cà Granda, IRCCS Policlinico Hospital, Via F. Sforza 35, 20122, Milan, Italy

    Maria Cristina Firetto, Alessandro A. Lemos & Pietro R. Biondetti

  2. Department of Emergency Surgery, Foundation Cà Granda, IRCCS Policlinico Hospital-University of Milan, Via F. Sforza 35, 20122, Milan, Italy

    Aldo Marini & Ettore Contessini Avesani

  3. Via A. Lamarmora 18, 20122, Milan, Italy

    Alessandro A. Lemos

Authors
  1. Maria Cristina Firetto
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  2. Alessandro A. Lemos
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  3. Aldo Marini
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  4. Ettore Contessini Avesani
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  5. Pietro R. Biondetti
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Correspondence to Alessandro A. Lemos.

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Firetto, M.C., Lemos, A.A., Marini, A. et al. Acute bowel ischemia: analysis of diagnostic error by overlooked findings at MDCT angiography. Emerg Radiol 20, 139–147 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10140-012-1078-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10140-012-1078-4

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