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Erschienen in:
18.09.2015 | Gastrointestinal
Diagnostic accuracy of low-dose CT compared with abdominal radiography in non-traumatic acute abdominal pain: prospective study and systematic review
Erschienen in: European Radiology | Ausgabe 6/2016
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Objectives
Abdominal radiography is frequently used in acute abdominal non-traumatic pain despite the availability of more advanced diagnostic modalities. This study evaluates the diagnostic accuracy of low-dose CT compared with abdominal radiography, at similar radiation dose levels.
Methods
Fifty-eight patients were imaged with both methods and were reviewed independently by three radiologists. The reference standard was obtained from the diagnosis in medical records. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated. A systematic review was performed after a literature search, finding a total of six relevant studies including the present.
Results
Overall sensitivity with 95 % CI for CT was 75 % (66–83 %) and 46 % (37–56 %) for radiography. Specificity was 87 % (77–94 %) for both methods. In the systematic review the overall sensitivity for CT varied between 75 and 96 % with specificity from 83 to 95 % while the overall sensitivity for abdominal radiography varied between 30 and 77 % with specificity 75 to 88 %.
Conclusions
Based on the current study and available evidence, low-dose CT has higher diagnostic accuracy than abdominal radiography and it should, where logistically possible, replace abdominal radiography in the workup of adult patients with acute non-traumatic abdominal pain.
Key Points
• Low-dose CT has a higher diagnostic accuracy than radiography.
• A systematic review shows that CT has better diagnostic accuracy than radiography.
• Radiography has no place in the workup of acute non-traumatic abdominal pain.