With recent technical advances, increasing use of sonography in the initial evaluation of patients with abdominal disease may allow the detection of unexpected tumor within the abdominal cavity. Easiness of sonographic detection of bowel pathology, purposely or unexpectedly, warrants the inclusion of bowel loops during ultrasound examination when a patient complains of symptoms indicating diseases of the bowel. In patients complaining of acute abdominal symptoms or nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms and showing signs such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, hematochezia, change of bowel habit, or bowel obstruction, sonography may reveal the primary causes and may play a definitive role in making a diagnosis. On ultrasonography, abnormal lesions may appear as fungating mass with eccentrically located bowel lumen (pseudokidney sign) or symmetrical or asymmetrical, encircling thickening of the colonic wall (target sign). In patients with mass or wall thickening detected on ultrasonography, additional work-up such as barium study, CT or endoscopy would be occasionally necessary for making a specific diagnosis.
Abdomen, Acute/ultrasonography ; Aged ; Appendicitis/ultrasonography ; Colorectal Neoplasms/ultrasonography ; Diverticulitis/ultrasonography ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Diseases/ultrasonography+ACo- ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms/ultrasonography ; Human ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/ultrasonography ; Intestinal Obstruction/ultrasonography ; Intestinal Perforation/ultrasonography ; Intestines/ultrasonography ; Male ; Stomach/ultrasonography ; Ultrasonography/instrumentation

Leiomyosarcoma of the intestine is an uncommon malignant tumor of the small and large bowels. It may metastasize mostly to the peritoneum, omentum and liver. We describe a case of a liver metastasis from ileal leiomyosarcoma which was treated by right hepatic lobectomy. Ultrasonography revealed multiple cysts in both lobes of liver and pelvic mass. Computerized tomography of the abdomen revealed that lobulated, marginated, low density mass was noted in ileal loop, and multiple, well-defined, low density masses were identified in both lobes of the liver. The patient underwent exploratory laparotomy and removal of the ileal leiomyosarcoma. One month later, the patient underwent a right hepatic lobectomy and removal of a cystic mass on the liver dome of the left lobe. The patient recovered and was discharged by postoperative day 24.
Abdomen ; Humans ; Intestines ; Laparotomy ; Leiomyosarcoma* ; Liver* ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Omentum ; Peritoneum ; Ultrasonography

Twin pregnancies have a higher rate of premature delivery than singleton pregnancies and a substantially higher perinatal mortality. Twin gestation complicted by a single anomalous fetus diffculties in obstetric management. Options available to patients include continuing the entire pregnancy, selective termination of the anomalous fetus, or termination of the entire pregnancy. The incidence of one anomalous fetus in twin pregnancy is rare. Gastroschisis is intestinal herniation through a defect in the anterior abdominal wall usually to the right of umblicus. There is no sac and the intestines are covered with a thickened inflammatory exudate. Most case of gastroschisis occur sporadically and chromosomal anomaly are less common. A case of one gastroschisis in twin pregnancies diagnosed by ultrasonography is reported with a brief review of the literature.
Abdominal Wall ; Exudates and Transudates ; Fetus ; Gastroschisis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intestines ; Perinatal Mortality ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Twin* ; Twins* ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVEThe information on the ultrasonographic features of pediatric intussusception complicated by intestinal necrosis is limited at present. This study aimed to investigate the ultrasonographic findings of this disorder in children in order to provide references for selecting a right means of reduction in clinical practice.

METHODSThe ultrasonographic findings of 48 children with intussusception complicated by intestinal necrosis and who underwent operative reduction between 2004 and 2006 were reviewed retrospectively.

RESULTSThe type of intussusception was closely correlated to the development of intestinal necrosis and the ileo-ileo-colonic intussusception was the most common one resulting in intestinal necrosis. The bowel wall of the invaginated segment was obviously thickened and the center of the invaginated segment was often accompanied with swollen lymph node and appendix caecalis. The intussusceptional fluidify, the expanding of distal segment accompanied with the thickened bowels wall, and weakening or disappearance of enterokinesia were the appearances of necrosis of most of bowel walls. The secondary intussusception was an important factor resulting in intestinal necrosis, and sound image of primary lesion was found in some patients. Seroperitoneum was a common manifestation in all of infants with intussusception complicated by intestinal necrosis.

CONCLUSIONSThere are some obvious sonographic characteristics of intussusception complicated by intestinal necrosis in children. The means of intussusception reduction may be selected according to ultrasonographic characteristics.

Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Intestines ; pathology ; Intussusception ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; Male ; Necrosis ; Ultrasonography

Ectopic pancreas is defined as pancreatic tissue lacking anatomical and vascular continuity with the main body of the pancreas. Common symptoms are epigastric pain, hemorrhage, chest pain, weight loss, nausea and vomiting. A 2-month-old male patient was hospitalized because of continuous bile stained vomiting for 2 days. Abdominal ultrasonography and colon study showed malrotation of the intestine. Surgical exploration revealed the ectopic pancreas on the 10cm lower portion of Treitz ligament and rotation of terminal ileum. We performed adhesiolysis, small bowel resection and anastomosis. The diagnosis of ectopic pancreas was made by histologic examination. We report a case of ectopic pancreas with intestinal adhesion and malrotation with brief review of related literatures.
Bile ; Chest Pain ; Colon ; Diagnosis ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Ileum ; Infant ; Intestines ; Ligaments ; Male ; Nausea ; Pancreas* ; Ultrasonography ; Vomiting ; Weight Loss

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic Ultrasonography(EUS), a combination of endoscopy and ultrasonography is one of the most useful tools for diagnosis of digestive system diseases. EUS is useful in staging the primary tumor invasion and regional lymph node metastasis because of its ability to image the gut wall and adjacent structures in unique detail. We performed a study preoperatively for assessing the accuracy and limitation of EUS in gastric carcinoma. METHODS: In 75 patients(Male 54, Female 21, Mean age 62.3 years) with a gastric carcinoma confirmed by endoscopic biopsy, we performed EUS preoperatively. The results were compared with the postoperative histopathologic staging. RESULTS: 1) In assessing the depth of tumor invasion, EUS accuracy on depth of invasion was 76.0% and overstaging and understaging were 14.7% and 9.3%, respectively. 2) In assessing the lymph node metastasis, the accuracy rate of EUS was 65.3%. A rate of false-positive diagnosis was 27.3%, and a rate of false-negative diagnosis was 24.5%.3) In assessing the incidence of lymph node metastasis for each T stage, the involve rate was 10.5% in pT1, 36.4% in pT2, 95.7% in pT3, 100% in pT4. CONCLUSIONS: EUS is the most accurate diagnostic methods presently available to determine tumor infiltration depth and lymph node metastasis.
Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Digestive System Diseases ; Endoscopy ; Endosonography* ; Esophagus* ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intestines* ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Stomach* ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: An umbilical arterial catheter (UAC) in the high position reduces the lumen of the aorta and may thereby impair blood supply to the intestine. Effects of UAC on intestinal blood flow were investigated. METHODS: With the measurement of the aortic diameter, pulsed Doppler ultrasonography was performed in 23 fasting newborns to measure blood flow velocities (peak systolic velocity, end-diastolic velocity, mean velocity, time velocity integral and resistive index) in the celiac trunk (CT) and the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) before and after removal of the UAC in the high position. RESULTS: UAC reduced the cross-sectional area of the aorta by 3.5-15.0% (mean 7.5%), with the percentage of reduction being inversely related to birth weight (r=-0.86, P<0.0001). Blood flow velocities in the CT and the SMA did not change significantly after removal of the UACl left in place for 7 days. There were also no differences in blood flow velocities pre- and postremoval of the UAC which stayed in place for 17.3 days and caused a mean aortic obstruction of 11.7%. However, a longer indwelling time of the UAC may lead to a higher velocity in the CT with UAC in place, as reflected by a correlation by multiple regression analysis (r=0.42, P=0.045). CONCLUSION: Although UAC remaining in place for up to 2 weeks in fasting newborns does not lead to direct alterations in blood supply to the intestine, the possibility of blood flow impairment to abdominal organs by prolonged use cannot be excluded.
Aorta ; Birth Weight ; Blood Flow Velocity ; Catheterization* ; Catheters* ; Fasting ; Hemodynamics* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Intestines ; Mesenteric Artery, Superior ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Pulsed

We have experienced two cases of mycotic aneurysms of the superior mesenteric artery. The first case originated from septic embolism of infective endocarditis and the second case originated from salmonella enteritis eight months before. The aneurysms were diagnosed by abdominal ultrasonography and comfirmed by computed tomogram and angiography but the blood culture was negative in both cases at the time of the surgery. Both patient were successfully treated by resection only and the restorations of vascular continuity were not neccesary because of adequate collateral circulations to the intestine. Both patient's postoperative courses were uneventful after the follow up of one year and nine months, respectively.
Aneurysm ; Aneurysm, Infected* ; Angiography ; Collateral Circulation ; Embolism ; Endocarditis ; Enteritis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intestines ; Mesenteric Artery, Superior* ; Salmonella ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: The usefulness of focused abdominal sonography for trauma (FAST) is now included in the frame work of the advanced trauma life support for examination of thoraco- abdominal trauma. Ultrasonographic screening is controversial in patients with hollow viscus injury. The purpose of this study is to determine the characteristics of emergency trauma sonographic findings in patients with hollow viscus injury. METHODS: All patients with isolated viscus injury after blunt abdominal trauma were retrospectively enrolled in this study during the 5-year period from December 1997 to November 2002. The patients were screened by using ultrasonography and an underwent explolaparotomy. The patients were diagnosed with a hollow viscus injury based on the surgical findings. Patients with viscus injury combined with parenchymal organ injury after abdominal trauma were excluded. Ultrasonographic examinations were performed by the experienced emergency physicians during the trauma resuscitation. RESULTS: Sixty patients were included in this study. The most common injury site was jejunum (23.3%). The common findings of emergency trauma sonography were free fluid collection (56.7%), none of fluid collection (38.3%), free air and fluid collection (3.3%), and free air (1.7%). The presence of mesenteric injury was significantly associated with fluid collection (x2=0009). CONCLUSION: The most common sonographic findings in hollow viscus injury patients after blunt abdominal trauma are free intraperitoneal fluid (anechoic or mixed echo pattern), normal, and free air (reverberation) in that order. Massive intraperitoneal fluid is more often detected in patients who have a viscus injury combined with a ruptured mesenteric vessel.
Abdominal Injuries ; Advanced Trauma Life Support Care ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Intestines ; Jejunum ; Mass Screening ; Resuscitation ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasonography ; Wounds, Nonpenetrating

We report a case in which mucinous adenocarcinoma arose in a duplication cyst at the distal ileum with in-traperitoneal seeding. A thirty-three-year-old male patient presented with abdominal distension. Ultrasonography, CT and MR imaging revealed a dumbbell-shaped cystic mass adherent to the small intestine. The wall of the mass was thickened in two areas and contained inhomogeneous materials. A large amount of ascites with irregular masses along the greater omentum were seen present. Surgery revealed a duplication cyst adherent to the ileum. Pathologic examination proved that the thickened portions of the wall of the mass were mucinous adenocarcinoma, and that the nodules on the greater omentum were metastatic adenocarcinoma.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous ; Ascites ; Humans ; Ileum ; Intestinal Neoplasms ; Intestine, Small ; Intestines ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Omentum ; Ultrasonography