Computed Tomography in the Diagnosis of Intra-abdominal Abscesses

Abstract

The diagnosis of intra-abdominal abscess by radiographic means often relies on combining the results of several different imaging modalities. Computed tomography (CT) was a safe, accurate and rapid diagnostic method of diagnoising these abscesses. Patients (5) with a variety of intra-abdominal abscesses are presented in whom the CT scan alone provided the correct diagnosis. The various imaging modalities available for the radiologic diagnosis of intra-abdominal abscess are described and are compared to CT diagnosis regarding their pitfalls.