MDCT of Small Bowel Obstruction: How Reliable Are Oblique Reformatted Images in Localizing Point of Transition?

Figure 3

CT scans in a 54-year-old woman with a two-month history of nausea and vomiting acutely presenting with worsening of symptoms. (a) Axial and coronal CT images obtained with intravenous contrast agent show herniated loops of small-bowel loops through a defect in anterior abdominal wall; however, the tract of bowel could not be completely elucidated on axial and coronal sections alone (yellow circles). (b) Oblique reformation exactly shows the outgoing and incoming loops of bowel with proximal dilated segments of bowel representing partial obstruction (blue circles and curved arrows).

(a) Herniated loop of bowel through anterior abdominal wall (yellow circles)

(b) Using oblique MPRs both the outgoing and incoming bowel loops are well delineated