title: Double contrast barium enema: technique, indications, results and limitations of a conventional imaging methodology in the MDCT virtual endoscopy era.
abstract: The double contrast barium enema of the colon continues to be a diffused conventional radiological technique and allows for the diagnosis of neoplastic and inflammatory pathology. After the '70s, a massive initiative is undertaken to simplify, perfect and encode the method of the double contrast barium enema: Altaras from Germany, Miller from USA and Cittadini from Italy are responsible for the perfection of this technique in the last 30 years. The tailored patient preparation, a perfect technique of execution and a precise radiological documentation are essentials steps to obtain a reliable examination. The main limit of double contrast enema is that it considers the pathology only from the mucosal surface. In neoplastic pathology evaluation the main limit is the "T" parameter staging, but more limited are the "N" and "M" parameters evaluation. Today the double contrast technique continues to be a refined, sensitive and specific diagnostic method, moreover, diagnostic results cannot compete with the new CT multislice techniques (CT-enteroclysis and virtual colonoscopy) which can examine both the lumen and the wall of the colon. The double contrast is a cheap and simple examination but in the next future is predictably a progressive substitution of conventional radiology from new multislice techniques, because the cross sectional imaging is more frequently able to detect causes of the symptoms whether resulting both from colonic or non colonic origin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Duchesse of Galliera Hospital, Via Mura delle Cappuccine 14, 16128 Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Gian Andrea
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Rollandi
authors.forename: Ennio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Biscaldi
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: DeCicco
mesh_terms: D001466:Barium Sulfate; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003287:Contrast Media; D004733:Enema / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D001466:Barium Sulfate