title: The role of ultrasonography in the imaging of body packers comparison with CT: a prospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated the sonographic properties of drug packets containing narcotic drugs and the diagnostic role of ultrasonography in detecting body packing in comparison with CT.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-five suspects admitted to our hospital for diagnosis and management were routinely evaluated by non-contrast CT for the presence of drug packets. A single radiologist blind to CT data independently performed the abdominal ultrasonographic scans.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-five of 45 suspects were carrying packets. In positive cases, two types of packets with different properties were noted. Twenty-eight cases had type 1 packets (solid form drug) and 7 had type 2 packets (liquid form cocaine). The sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predictive values of ultrasonography for detecting drug packets were 91%, 70%, 91%, and 70%, respectively. Ultrasonography accurately determined the presence or absence of packs in 39 of 45 suspects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ultrasonography was found to have a high sensitivity but a low specificity in suspected cases. A negative ultrasonography cannot rule out the diagnosis of body packing. However, it may be preferred as the initial imaging method or for follow-up of suspected cases as a radiation-free, easy-to-use, and inexpensive technique.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Haseki Training and Research Hospital, Millet Caddesi, Aksaray, 34096, Istanbul, Turkey. doc_20_1@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Ferhat
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cengel
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey. mesutbulakci@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Mesut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bulakci
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Haseki Training and Research Hospital, Millet Caddesi, Aksaray, 34096, Istanbul, Turkey. drtubas@gmail.com.|Department of Medical Sciences, Istanbul Gelisim University, Istanbul, Turkey. drtubas@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Tuba
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Selcuk
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Haseki Training and Research Hospital, Millet Caddesi, Aksaray, 34096, Istanbul, Turkey. ysavas15@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Yildiray
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Savas
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Haseki Training and Research Hospital, Millet Caddesi, Aksaray, 34096, Istanbul, Turkey. dr.mcey@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Muhammet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ceyhan
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Haseki Training and Research Hospital, Millet Caddesi, Aksaray, 34096, Istanbul, Turkey. dr.ayhankocak@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Ayhan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kocak
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Bayrampasa State Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. dr.cigdembilgili@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Cigdem Ozkara
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Bilgili
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000328:Adult; D004349:Drug Packaging / Q000379:methods*; D064423:Drug Trafficking; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs
keywords: Abdominal ultrasound; Body packing; Computed tomography; Drug smuggling