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Ultrasonography of gastrointestinal tract disorders: retrospective and prospective evaluation

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  • Ultrasound
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Abstract

In a retrospective analysis performed on 4167 routine abdominal sonographic (US) examinations (September 1989 to December 1991), 93 US reports strongly suggesting the presence of gastrointestinal (GI) tract disorders were found. Neoplastic GI tract diseases were indicated in 65.6 % of cases and non-neoplastic conditions in 34.4 %. The final diagnoses confirmed all the cases of non-neoplastic disease, while 3 patients sonographically suspected as having a neoplasm proved not to have any GI tract abnormality. In the period January 1992 to December 1992, 62 patients with a suspected GI tract abnormality were enrolled in a prospective double-masked US study after being submitted to conventional radiological studies only in 28 of 62 cases, after conventional studies and CT in 24 of 62 cases, and after CT only in 10 of 62 cases. Sonography furnished additional diagnostic information in 28 of 62 cases when the previous radiological examination did not include CT, but sonography misinterpreted 4 inflammatory disorders as tumours. Our study confirmed the important role of US alone or in association with other imaging modalities in the study of GI tract diseases.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, University of Pisa, Via Roma 67, I-56100, Pisa, Italy

    S. Mazzeo, D. Caramella, M. Bimbi, F. Sanguinetti, L. Pieri, A. De Liperi, F. Pinto, R. Lencioni, R. Russo & C. Bartolozzi

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  1. S. Mazzeo
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  2. D. Caramella
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  3. M. Bimbi
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  4. F. Sanguinetti
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  5. L. Pieri
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  6. A. De Liperi
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  7. F. Pinto
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  8. R. Lencioni
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  9. R. Russo
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  10. C. Bartolozzi
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Correspondence to: S. Mazzeo

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Mazzeo, S., Caramella, D., Bimbi, M. et al. Ultrasonography of gastrointestinal tract disorders: retrospective and prospective evaluation. Eur. Radiol. 5, 347–353 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00184942

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00184942

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