Role of Computed Tomography (CT) In the Evaluation of Acute Abdomen

The term ‘Acute Abdomen’ refers to any clinical condition characterized by severe abdominal pain that develops over a period of hours. It is in many cases a medical emergency, requiring urgent and specific diagnosis. Several cases need surgical treatment. Since feature is acute, imaging is often called upon to tackle the challenge and to establish the etiological diagnosis or guide management planning. The first radiological examination which is often called upon to tackle acute abdomen cases is a plain x-ray abdomen (erect view).Except for some conditions like intestinal obstruction or perforation, most of the time it is not very informative. Hence CT scanning of abdomen and pelvis is often the preferred imaging test for evaluating ‘acute abdomen’, as the examination is fast, requires minimal patient preparation, and does not depend on the functional status of abdominal organs.