Stenosis of the third portion of the duodenum due to bleeding from the anterior pancreaticoduodenal artery: assessment by multiphase contrast-enhanced examination with multislice CT.
BACKGROUND
This study was undertaken to analyze the CT findings for the rare pathological process that stenosis of the third portion of the duodenum was presumed to be caused by bleeding from the anterior pancreaticoduodenal artery.


METHODS
Four consecutive patients presenting with frequent vomiting, who did not have well-known underlying disorders causing duodenal stenosis, were retrospectively recruited. Multiphase contrast-enhanced CT examinations were performed with 0.5- or 1-mm collimation. Two radiologists evaluated 2-mm axial and multiplanar reformatted images.


RESULTS
In all patients, endoscopy demonstrated severe edematous stenosis of the third portion of the duodenum not associated with ulcer, bleeding, or neoplasm. The following CT findings were observed in all patients: homogenous swelling of the third portion of the duodenum associated with luminal stenosis in un-enhanced images, a band-like area of lower contrast-enhancement surrounding the walls of the third portion of the duodenum in pancreatic-phase images, and stenosis of the celiac axis. In three patients, aneurysms of the anterior pancreaticoduodenal artery in arterial-phase images were depicted. In the remaining patient, the diameter of the artery was irregular.


CONCLUSIONS
Multiphase contrast-enhanced CT examination using a multislice CT scanner helps to establish the diagnosis of this pathological process.
Itoh
Shigeki
S
Department of Technical Radiology, Nagoya University School of Health Sciences, 1-1-20 Daikou-minami, Higashi-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 461-8673, Japan. shigeito@met.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Mori
Yoshine
Y
Suzuki
Kojiro
K
Satake
Hiroko
H
Ota
Toyohiro
T
Naganawa
Shinji
S
D000368:Aged; D017542:Aneurysm, Ruptured / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003287:Contrast Media; D004380:Duodenal Obstruction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D004386:Duodenum / Q000098:blood supply*; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010179:Pancreas / Q000098:blood supply*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D003287:Contrast Media