Role of contrast CT in acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the role of CT abdomen in the localization of acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding.


BACKGROUND
The source of bleed in acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding is often difficult to localize. The role of CT in the evaluation of this group of patients has not been clearly addressed.


METHODS
A retrospective review of all patients with acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding over a 3-year period was carried out. When endoscopy failed to localize the source and bleeding continued, angiography and/or scintigraphy were carried out. In contrast, those who had normal endoscopies and had clinically stopped bleeding, underwent CT abdomen.


RESULTS
CT done in 7 patients with no evidence of active bleed identified a lesion in 6 (86%).


CONCLUSIONS
CT may be useful in acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding where endoscopy fails to localize a lesion and bleeding has stopped temporarily.
Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Cochin, Kerala 682026, India. rameshmadhav2000@yahoo.co.uk
Ramesh
R
Rajan
Puneet
P
Dhar
Raaj Kumar
RK
Praseedom
S
S
Sudhindran
Sreekanth
S
Moorthy
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003287:Contrast Media; D003974:Diatrizoate Meglumine; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007472:Iohexol; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
D003287:Contrast Media; D003974:Diatrizoate Meglumine; D007472:Iohexol