CT enterography
CT enterography, is a special study to acquire images of the stomach, small bowel and the large bowel. Enterography comes from the words “entero,” which means intestine or bowel, and “graphy,” which means image. CT enterography is useful in the evaluation of bowel infection, inflammatory bowel disease, gastrointestinal bleeding and some gastrointestinal tumors.
The CT enterography exam involves:
- Drinking fluid to distend the small bowel
- Use of an intravenous contrast agent during the scan to make blood vessels more visible on the images and to identify bowel inflammation
- An IV injection of hyoscine to slow bowel movement
You will be asked questions to verify that the intravenous contrast is safe for you. If you have a history of kidney disease, a blood test may be conducted to ensure you can safely be given intravenous contrast.
Results
CT Enterography provides excellent images of the stomach, small intestine and large intestine. If you have Crohn’s disease, contrast helps to show inflammation in the bowel wall and surrounding structures, as well as fistulas (an opening or passage between two organs or an organ and the skin caused by disease or injury). It also assesses other abdominal organs such as the liver, pancreas and kidneys.
