ABSTRACT
Imaging Techniques ^ Abdominal X-ray: May identify dilated small bowel loops in obstruction or thickened
bowel loops in inflammatory disorders. ^ Contrast computed tomography (CT): The patient drinks, or is instilled through a
nasogastric tube, a special radiologic contrast solution to opacify the intestine. The patient is then passed through the CT body scanner. This is useful to detect thicken ing of bowel wall and presence of enterocolic and enterovesical fistulas. It provides detailed information of the small and large bowel, but is expensive, time-consuming, and uses ionizing radiation. CT enterography is a specially protocoled examination using large volumes of ingested enteric contrast material that improves the assessment of the mucosa and the bowel wall.
