title: Focal bowel wall changes detected with colour Doppler ultrasound: diagnostic value in acute non-diverticular diseases of the colon.
abstract: We performed a study to determine if colour Doppler findings may help to identify the cause of wall thickening in acute non-diverticular diseases of the colon. The study group included 66 patients admitted to the emergency department with a final diagnosis of infectious colitis (n=23), inflammatory colitis (n=10), ischaemic colitis (n=23) and malignant tumours (n=10). The following ultrasound features were assessed: maximal wall thickness, wall stratification, arterial flow in the colonic wall and arteriolar resistive index. Higher values of wall thickness were observed in malignant tumour (18.2+/-6.2 mm, p<0.001). Moderately thickened wall (6.6+/-1.3 mm, p< or =0.06), preserved stratification (90% versus 46% in the remainder of the study population) and lower resistive index (0.51+/-0.10, p< or =0.05) were significantly related to inflammatory colitis. Absence of arterial flow was more frequently observed in ischaemia (43% versus 12% in the remainder of the study population). In conclusion, despite some overlap, both ultrasound and colour Doppler features are helpful in the differential diagnosis of colonic thickening related to non-diverticular colonic lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Université Catholique de Louvain, St-Luc University Hospital, Avenue Hippocrate 10, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Danse
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jamart
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hoang
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Laterre
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kartheuser
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Van Beers
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003106:Colon / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D003108:Colonic Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color / Q000379:methods*