THE CT DIAGNOSIS AND OPERATIVE INDICATION FOR PANPERITONITIS CARCINOMATOSA WITH INTESTINAL OBSTRUCTION

For the purpose of clarifing the discrimination points in the CT diagnosis of peritonitis carcinomatosa and operative indication for the disease, 52 patients with peritonitis carcinomatosa presenting with intestinal obstruction admitted to the hospital in a 5-year period (January 1990 to December 1994) were retrospectively studied, by comparing to another 22 cases of benign ileus in which CT was performed. As for the CT images, the following 10 items were evaluated: ascites, epiploic thickening, intestinal mass, intraperitoneal tumor, intestinal wall thickening, the mesenteric macule-shaped and funicular views, intestinal liquid being full, expansion intestinal tract gas, visualization of the Kerckring folds and mirror surface formation. Furthermore, the additional five items were examined as reference views: pleural effusion, liver metastasis, bile duct occlusion, hydronephrosis and paraaortic lymphnode swelling. The degree of each view was scored. When an average score in total was asked, it was 5.3±2.9 S.D. in peritonitis carcinomatosa or -1.6±2.9 S.D. in the benign ileus, with sensitivity of 95.7%, specificity of 76.7%, and accuracy of 90.0%. This score evaluation is useful to make a diagnosis of peritonotis carcinomatosa with intestinal obstruction. As to operative indication, possibilities are suggested that patients showing a mirror surface image can be cancidates for excision of the intestine and anastomosis and that patients having hydronephrosis should not be candidates for operation.