Sonographic image degradation after barium enema.
OBJECTIVE
The authors previously showed that barium does not interfere with abdominal sonography performed after a biphasic upper gastrointestinal tract examination. This study was designed to assess the impact of a barium enema (BE) examination on the quality of abdominal sonography performed immediately after the barium enema.


METHODS
Forty patients scheduled for routine barium enemas (22 air contrast and 18 solid column) were prospectively examined with abdominal sonography before and after their BEs. The resulting 80 sonograms were randomized; three radiologists blindly assessed the quality of images of each of six anatomic areas (aorta, pancreas, porta hepatis, gallbladder, and the right and left lobes of the liver).


RESULTS
There was no statistically significant degradation of the images for the right and left lobes of the liver and the pancreas. However, the images for the gallbladder, porta hepatis, and aorta had a statistically significant (P < .05) degradation of their ultrasound quality following barium enema.


CONCLUSIONS
Unlike upper gastrointestinal tract examination, BE examination does interfere with the quality of a subsequent abdominal ultrasonography. Thus, when both studies are required, sonography should be performed first.
Friedman
D L
DL
Department of Radiology, University of Arizona, Tucson.
Hunter
T B
TB
Elam
E A
EA
Hunt
K R
KR
Fajardo
L L
LL
D000005:Abdomen / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001466:Barium Sulfate; D004733:Enema; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010179:Pancreas / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000592:standards
D001466:Barium Sulfate