TY - JOUR
T1 - Computed tomography of gastrointestinal inflammation after bone marrow transplantation
AU - Jones, B.
AU - Fishman, E. K.
AU - Kramer, S. S.
AU - Siegelman, S. S.
AU - Saral, R.
AU - Beschorner, W. E.
AU - Yeager, A. M.
AU - Lake, Alan
AU - Yolken, R. H.
AU - Tutschka, P.
PY - 1986
Y1 - 1986
N2 - Overwhelming secretory diarrhea can be a major complication after bone marrow transplantation, associated usually with acute graft-versus-host disease (AGVHD). Radiographic evaluation may be hampered by nausea, vomiting, or debilitation. Computed tomography (CT) in seven such patients demonstrated diffuse wall thickening in the small intestine, colon, and/or mesentery. In two cases, prolonged adherence of oral contrast material to the luminal surface resulted in bizarre patterns of coating. In two others, a layer of low attenuation within the thickened wall produced a target appearance consistent with submucosal edema or hemorrhage. Small bowel dilatation and fold enlargement was the only finding in one patient. The role that superinfection of the gastrointestinal tract with opportunistic organisms can play in this immunocompromised group of patients is less well established. In this group of patients, the findings were due to AGVHD in two, AGVHD and viral enteritis in two, and viral enteritis alone in three. CT may be an alternative to routine contrast studies in assessing the extent of gastrointestinal tract involvement after bone marrow transplantation. Neither contrast studies nor CT were able to differentiate between AGVHD and viral enteritis.
AB - Overwhelming secretory diarrhea can be a major complication after bone marrow transplantation, associated usually with acute graft-versus-host disease (AGVHD). Radiographic evaluation may be hampered by nausea, vomiting, or debilitation. Computed tomography (CT) in seven such patients demonstrated diffuse wall thickening in the small intestine, colon, and/or mesentery. In two cases, prolonged adherence of oral contrast material to the luminal surface resulted in bizarre patterns of coating. In two others, a layer of low attenuation within the thickened wall produced a target appearance consistent with submucosal edema or hemorrhage. Small bowel dilatation and fold enlargement was the only finding in one patient. The role that superinfection of the gastrointestinal tract with opportunistic organisms can play in this immunocompromised group of patients is less well established. In this group of patients, the findings were due to AGVHD in two, AGVHD and viral enteritis in two, and viral enteritis alone in three. CT may be an alternative to routine contrast studies in assessing the extent of gastrointestinal tract involvement after bone marrow transplantation. Neither contrast studies nor CT were able to differentiate between AGVHD and viral enteritis.
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U2 - 10.2214/ajr.146.4.691
DO - 10.2214/ajr.146.4.691
M3 - Article
C2 - 3513488
AN - SCOPUS:0022652706
SN - 0361-803X
VL - 146
SP - 691
EP - 695
JO - American Journal of Roentgenology
JF - American Journal of Roentgenology
IS - 4
ER -