ABSTRACT
MDCT has become a fundamental tool for determining the causes of acute abdomen. CT is considered the imaging technique of choice in the diagnostic workup of both localized and diffuse acute abdomen, except in patients in whom acute cholecystitis or acute gynecological disease is suspected and in children, adolescents, and pregnant patients, in whom ultrasonography is the imaging technique of choice. Plain-film X-ray examination has been relegated to the initial management of renal colic, suspected foreign bodies, and intestinal obstruction. One of the drawbacks of MDCT is its use of ionizing radiation, which makes it necessary to filter and direct the examinations as well as to ensure that the most appropriate protocols are used. For this reason, low dose protocols have been developed so that diagnostic studies can be performed with doses of radiation between 2 and 3 mSv; these are normally used in the diagnosis of renal colic and can also be used in selected patients with suspected appendicitis and acute diverticulitis.
Subject(s)
Abdomen, Acute/diagnostic imaging , Multidetector Computed Tomography , Abdomen, Acute/etiology , Acute Disease , Appendicitis/complications , Diverticulitis/complications , Humans , Intestinal Diseases/complications , Renal Colic/complicationsABSTRACT
La TCMD se ha convertido en la herramienta fundamental en el diagnóstico de las causas de abdomen agudo. Se considera que la TC es la técnica de elección en el diagnóstico del dolor abdominal agudo tanto localizado como difuso, excepto cuando la sospecha es la colecistitis aguda, la patología ginecológica aguda, así como el dolor abdominal en niños, jóvenes y embarazadas, donde la ecografía es la exploración de elección. La radiología convencional ha quedado relegada al manejo inicial del cólico renal, sospecha de cuerpos extraños y obstrucción intestinal. Uno de los inconvenientes de la TCMD es la utilización de radiaciones ionizantes, lo que obliga a filtrar y dirigir las exploraciones así como a utilizar los protocolos más adecuados. Por ello se han desarrollado los protocolos de baja dosis con los que se pueden realizar estudios diagnósticos con una dosis de radiación de 2-3 mSv que se emplean de forma generalizada en el diagnóstico del cólico renal y pueden utilizarse también en pacientes seleccionados con sospecha de apendicitis y diverticulitis aguda. MDCT has become a fundamental tool for determining the causes of acute abdomen (AU)
CT is considered the imaging technique of choice in the diagnostic workup of both localized and diffuse acute abdomen, except in patients in whom acute cholecystitis or acute gynecological disease is suspected and in children, adolescents, and pregnant patients, in whom ultrasonography is the imaging technique of choice. Plain-film X-ray examination has been relegated to the initial management of renal colic, suspected foreign bodies, and intestinal obstruction. One of the drawbacks of MDCT is its use of ionizing radiation, which makes it necessary to filter and direct the examinations as well as to ensure that the most appropriate protocols are used. For this reason, low dose protocols have been developed so that diagnostic studies can be performed with doses of radiation between 2 and 3 mSv; these are normally used in the diagnosis of renal colic and can also be used in selected patients with suspected appendicitis and acute diverticulitis (AU)
