Non-catheterized computed tomography of the small intestine

This article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Vu Thi Hau - Radiologist - Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine - Vinmec Times City International General Hospital.

Non-catheterized computed tomography (CT) scan of the small intestine helps to detect diseases in the small intestine. CT scan of the small intestine is a modern imaging technique with iodine contrast injection.

CT scan of the small intestine without catheter is a technique that uses X-rays to non-invasively examine the small intestine to find and detect pathologies and lesions in the small intestine.
Diagnosis of small bowel disease is difficult due to overlapping loops. In this technique, the patient is first dilated the small intestine by mouth, then the doctor and the imaging technician conduct a CT scan of the small intestine before and after the contrast is injected.

Computerized tomography of the small intestine without catheter is indicated in the following cases:
Intestinal diseases caused by trauma: duodenal injury, hematoma, contusion, vascular injury, ... Incomplete intestinal obstruction, infectious low intestinal obstruction, appendicitis, ... Inflammatory diseases: Crohn's disease, intestinal tuberculosis, vasculitis enteritis, typhoid, amoebic abscess, ulcerative colitis. Tumor pathologies: stromal tumor, smooth muscle tumor, polyp, lipoma, hemangioma, adenocarcinoma, lymphoma, neuroendocrine tumor, small bowel metastasis. Other pathologies: diverticulum a , double bowel, ... Cases of complete intestinal obstruction are contraindicated to CT scan of small intestine without catheter. In the case of patients with renal failure, pregnant women in the first 3 months should be considered.

The non-catheterized small bowel computed tomography technique has the following advantages:
Thin layers, high resolution and contrast, allowing reconstruction of the image structure in clear planes. Examine the entire abdomen, evaluate the entire length of the small intestine, the thickness of the intestinal wall, and adjacent structures. Contrast is used to allow clear visualization of the lesion and does not cause image interference.

The technique of computed tomography of the small intestine without a catheter includes the following steps:
Step 1: Give the patient 1 liter of water to drink for about 15 minutes. Prepare the intravenous line. Note, patients need to fast for 12 hours before the scan. Step 2: Intravenous administration of drugs to reduce small bowel tone. Step 3: CT scan of small intestine with field from diaphragm to pubic bone. Step 4: Before contrast injection, take a scan from the liver to the bladder to evaluate the degree of bowel dilation. The cut layers are 1mm thick, 1.5 pitch. In case of not reaching enough intestinal dilation, the patient should drink more. Step 5: Inject 120ml of iodinated contrast agent at an injection rate of 2.5 - 3ml/s. After the injection, a spiral scan of the entire abdomen was performed within 60 seconds. In case of gastrointestinal bleeding, angiography should be taken from the 25th second after injection. The imaged slice thickness is 5mm. Step 6: Use 3D, MIP, MPR, VR, ... software on the machine to process and reproduce images. The results of CT scan of the small intestine must clearly show the anatomical structure and allow detection of lesions if any. At Vinmec International General Hospital, the non-catheterized computed tomography (CT) scan of the small intestine is performed by a team of highly qualified and experienced doctors in the field of imaging, along with other specialists. modern equipment and machinery, giving accurate and fast results.
Master. Doctor. Vu Thi Hau has many years of experience in the field of diagnostic imaging including magnetic resonance, CT and ultrasound. Graduated from Hanoi Medical University in 2014 with a BSNT and trained in France for 1 year. Currently engaged in the field of diagnosis of neurological, head and neck, ear - bone, musculoskeletal, digestive and urological diseases.
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