Role of Multidetector Computed Tomography Angiography in Acute Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Background: Acute gastrointestinal hemorrhage is a frequent condition that the acute care surgeon manages. It is suggested that assessment, management, and treatment be done in a structured way.Aim and objectives: To assess the role of multislice CT angiography in the diagnosis of acute gastrointestinal bleeding causes such as inflammatory bowel diseases, tumors, and vascular abnormalities.Patients and methods: The study was performed on thirty cases of acute GIT bleeding at Zagazig General Hospital from October 2020 to April 2021.Results: Twenty-six cases (86.7%) of the studied cases had abnormal GIT findings by CT. The case with superior mesenteric artery occlusion had irregular mural thickness in the small bowel and mesenteric congestion, while other cases with arterial lesions showed no GIT abnormality. Cases with venous lesions had irregular mural thickness in the small bowel and lack of enhancement. The two cases with superior mesenteric venous thrombosis also had mesenteric congestion.Conclusion: MDCT is the modality of choice for all hemodynamically stable active bleeding LGIT bleeding; this technique is safe, well tolerated, easily done, and sensitive for detection of site and causes of bleeding. It is complementary to other methods of investigation, such as endoscopic and fluoroscopic techniques. It also enabled the diagnosis of mesenteric ischemia with accurate visualization of its cause, either arterial or venous lesions, with detection of intestinal congestion and infarction.