The added value of multidetector CT in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal causes of acute abdomen in geriatrics

Abstract

Abstract Background Due to changes in the gastrointestinal system in geriatric people, there are higher rates of atypical presentations of common disorders. In order to decrease the mortality rate, an efficient and correct diagnosis should be given for these patients. The aim of this study was to assess the role of MDCT in evaluating gastrointestinal tract-related acute abdominal pain in geriatric patients. Results Among fifty geriatric patients presented clinically with acute abdominal pain of gastrointestinal origin from November 2019 to September 2020, mean age was 70.2 ± 5.6 years ranging from 65 to 86 years. Majority were female, (thirty patients, 60%). Gastric causes (16%): obstruction (62.5%) and perforation (37.5%); and intestinal causes (84%): obstruction (71.4%), inflammatory (28.6%), perforation (23.8%), vascular (11.9%), and others (2.4%) were the frequent causes of acute abdominal pain in the studied patients. MDCT had a very high sensitivity of 98% (95% CI) as well as its PPV (95% CI) was 100% in the evaluation of gastrointestinal-related acute abdominal pain. Conclusion MDCT is a reliable diagnostic imaging modality for geriatric patients presented with acute abdominal pain suggested to be of gastrointestinal origin with a very high sensitivity in diagnosing the causative pathological conditions. MDCT can efficiently differentiate between obstructive, inflammatory, perforated, and ischemic bowel disorders.

Keywords

• Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT)
• Geriatric patients
• The elderly
• Acute abdominal pain
• Gastrointestinal
• Intestinal