ROLE OF RADIOLOGY IN EVALUATION OF TRAUMATIC BOWEL INJURIES

Background: Traumatic bowel injuries (TBI) are rare but potentially life-threatening conditions requiring prompt diagnosis and treatment. This study evaluates the role of computed tomography (CT) in diagnosing and managing TBI. A prospective study was conducted on 60 patients with suspected TBI wh Methods: o underwent CT evaluation. CT ndings were analyzed for specic signs including mesenteric inltration, bowel wall thickening, bowel discontinuity, pneumoperitoneum, bowel hypoenhancement, active extravasation, and free uid. These were correlated with surgical ndings where applicable. Sensitivity, specicity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and diagnostic accuracy were calculated. Mesenteric inltration (75.0%) and free peritoneal uid (83.3% Results: ) were the most common CT ndings in patients with TBI. Bowel wall discontinuity demonstrated the highest specicity (100%) and PPV (100%), followed by pneumoperitoneum (specicity 92.3%, PPV 93.8%). Active extravasation showed high specicity (98.1%) but lower sensitivity (36.3%). The overall diagnostic accuracy of CT for detecting surgically signicant TBI was 91.7%. Among the 60 patients, 26 (43.3%) required surgical intervention, with bowel perforation being the most common nding. CT Conclusions: remains the gold standard for evaluating TBI, with high sensitivity and specicity for specic ndings that guide surgical intervention. Multi-detector CT has signicantly improved diagnostic accuracy, particularly for bowel wall discontinuity and pneumoperitoneum. Challenges include the reliable detection of minor injuries and interobserver variability. Further advancements in dual-energy CT and development of standardized scoring systems may enhance diagnostic performance in the future.