Evaluation of bowel and mesenteric injury: role of multidetector CT

The development of thin-section multidetector computed tomography has improved the accuracy of computed tomography in the evaluation of abdominal trauma. Multidetector computed tomography is more sensitive and specific than diagnostic peritoneal lavages, abdominal sonography, and clinical examination for the detection of bowel and mesenteric injury. Computed tomographic findings include pneumoperitoneum, visualization of direct tears in the bowel wall, intraperitoneal fluid, bowel wall thickening, abnormal bowel wall enhancement, and mesenteric infiltration or hematoma.