Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, Vol 17, Issue 8 497-504, Copyright © 1998 by American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
Small bowel obstruction in rats: diagnostic accuracy of sonography versus radiography
S. C. Berlin, M. J. Goske, N. Obuchowski, F. Alexander, R. C. Zepp, J. R. Goldblum and K. Godec
Division of Radiology, Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital, Ohio, USA.
Our purposes were to determine whether sonography can distinguish between
obstructed and nonobstructed rats and to compare the diagnostic accuracy of
sonography and radiography in the diagnosis of small bowel obstruction.
Nonstrangulating small bowel obstruction was created in 19 rats; sham
laparotomies were performed in 18 controls. Serial radiographs and
sonograms, including duplex Doppler sonography, were obtained. Bowel
diameter and bowel wall thickness were evaluated retrospectively. Bowel
diameter, bowel wall thickness, and resistive indices increased in the
animals with obstruction; controls remained unchanged (P = 0.002).
Sonography demonstrated a significantly higher diagnostic accuracy than
radiography at 24 hours and beyond (P = 0.023). Ultrasonography is
sensitive and more accurate than radiography in diagnosing small bowel
obstruction using objective criteria in the animal model.
