Diaphragm disease of the small bowel: a retrospective review of CT findings.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this article is to report the CT findings of pathologically proven diaphragm disease in the small bowel.


METHODS
A retrospective review identified 12 patients with pathologically proven small-bowel diaphragm disease who underwent CT within 6 months of surgical resection. Two radiologists, who were unblinded to pathologic and clinical findings, evaluated CT examinations for imaging findings of disease extent, appearance, and location. Clinical history and postoperative follow-up were also performed.


RESULTS
The most common presenting symptoms were abdominal pain (7/12 [58%]) and anemia (5/12 [42%]). Long-term use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs was documented in 58% (7/12) of patients. The most common location of small-bowel diaphragms was the ileum (8/12 [67%]). The CT findings were abnormal in 92% (11/12) of patients. The most common CT findings were small-bowel strictures (11/12 [92%]) and focal (median length, 1 cm) bowel wall thickening (8/12 [67%]). Other less common CT findings included mucosal hyperenhancement (6/12 [50%]), small-bowel dilatation (5/12 [42%]), and video capsule retention (6/9 [67%]). Postoperative follow-up in 11 patients found recurrent symptoms in four patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Small-bowel diaphragm disease should be considered in patients with a history of long-term use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, chronic abdominal pain, and anemia who present with CT findings of short, symmetric ileal strictures and focal bowel wall thickening.
1 School of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ.
Kristina T
KT
Flicek
Amy K
AK
Hara
Giovanni
G
De Petris
Shabana F
SF
Pasha
Anitha D
AD
Yadav
C Daniel
CD
Johnson
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D053704:Capsule Endoscopy; D003964:Diaphragm / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*