CT detection of duodenal perforation

Abstract

Four cases of duodenal perforation are presented in which computed tomography (CT) was essential to proper diagnosis and patient management. In all cases, CT demonstrated extraluminal fluid not evident on the routine studies: in 3 of the 4 cases, CT revealed extraluminal gas that could not be identified on plain film examination. Because delay in diagnosis of retroperitoneal duodenal perforation can be lethal, CT will probably assume a role in the early radiologic examination of the patient with suspected retroperitoneal duodenal perforation.