Significance of bowel wall thickening on computed tomography scan: higher risk of pathology among African Americans compared to Hispanics.
OBJECTIVE
The aims of our study were to examine the role of colonoscopy as further workup for bowel wall thickening reported on computed tomography (CT) scans and to investigate whether there were significant differences in pathology found among the racial groups in our study population.


METHODS
This is a retrospective study from March 2005 and January 2007 of all patients who have undergone colonoscopy for bowel wall thickening found on CT scans of the abdomen.


RESULTS
Of 94 patients with bowel wall thickening on CT scans, 7 (8%) had adenocarcinoma, 5 (5%) had large adenomas, 3 (3%) had infectious colitis, 2 (2%) ischemic colitis, 1 (1%) had inflammatory bowel disease, and 1 (1%) had a benign stricture. Bowel wall thickening on CT scan predicted clinical pathology in 34% of African Americans, as compared to 14% of Hispanics. Patients with significant pathology were more likely to have anemia and lower albumin levels.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with bowel wall thickening found on CT scans should be referred for colonoscopy, given that significant pathology is found in 20% of the cases. African Americans were 2.5 times more likely to have clinically significant pathology as compared to Hispanics.
Patel
Pikeshkumar
P
Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center, Bronx, New York 10457, USA.
Widjaja
David
D
Blum
Steve
S
Glandt
Mariela
M
Akella
Jagadish
J
Chilimuri
Sridhar
S
Balar
Bhavna
B
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D000236:Adenoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003092:Colitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D003106:Colon / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D003108:Colonic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D003113:Colonoscopy; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed