MDCT Imaging in Non-Traumatic Acute Abdomen with Its Ultrasound Correlation

Abstract

Introduction: Non-traumatic acute abdomen is a common
clinical emergency with diverse etiologies requiring prompt and
accurate diagnosis. Imaging plays a critical role in evaluation,
with ultrasound (USG) often used as the first-line modality
and multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) offering
higher diagnostic accuracy, particularly when USG findings are
inconclusive. The aim of the study is to evaluate the spectrum
of MDCT findings in non-traumatic acute abdomen, analyze
their correlation with USG results, and assess the diagnostic
performance of both modalities.
Material and Methods: This prospective observational study
was conducted over 1.5 years in the Department of Radiodiagnosis
at Shri Ram Murti Smarak Institute of Medical
Sciences, Bareilly. A total of 151 patients presenting with acute
abdomen (excluding trauma cases) underwent both USG and
MDCT. Data were analyzed using SPSS v20 to determine
diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and correlation with
surgical, histopathological and clinical outcomes.
Results: MDCT identified abnormalities in 100% of cases,
whereas USG failed to detect pathology in 27.8%. Concordance
between USG and MDCT was observed in 60.3% of cases.
The most common diagnoses were acute pancreatitis (21.2%),
acute appendicitis (15.2%), bowel obstruction (11.9%), ureteric
calculi (11.3%), and liver abscess (11.3%). MDCT demonstrated
high sensitivity and specificity across all major conditions:
pancreatitis (100, 95.6%), appendicitis (96.3, 95.8%), bowel
obstruction (88.8, 99.3%), ureterolithiasis (100, 97.1%) and liver
abscess (100, 98.7%).
Conclusion: MDCT proved superior to USG in evaluating nontraumatic
acute abdomen, offering higher diagnostic accuracy,
better anatomical detail, and aiding in early and precise clinical
decision-making. The study supports the use of MDCT as the
imaging modality of choice in emergency abdominal settings.