ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To qualitatively analyse barium coating status in the intestinal mucosa, we used scanning electronmicroscopy to observe barium particles coated in the small intestinal mucosa of rabbit, and we attempted to assessthe relationship between electron microscopic findings and radiographic densities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixdifferent combinations of barium and methylcellulose suspensions were infused into the resected small intestinesof 15 rabbits. Barium powders were mixed with water to make 40% and 70% w/v barium solutions, and also mixed with0.5% methylcellulose solution to make 40% and 70% w/v barium-methylcellulose mixtures. 0.5% methylcellulosesolutions were used as a double contrast agent. After the infusion of barium suspensions, a mammography unit wasused to obtain radiographs of the small intestine, and their optical densities were measured by a densitometer.Thereafter, photographs of barium-coated small intestinal mucosa were obtained using a scanning electronmicroscope (x8,000), and the number of barium particles in the unit area were measured. To compare therelationship between the electron microscopic findings and optical densities, statistical analysis using Spearmancorrelation was performed. RESULTS: With a Spearman coefficient of-0.544, correlation between the number of smallbarium particles of less than 1 micrometer and optical densities was statistically significant(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Thisstudy shows that by using scanning electron microscopy, barium particles coated on the small intestinal mucosa canbe qualitatively analysed. It also shows that the number of small barium particles measured by scanning electronmicroscopy is related to optical densities.