Small-bowel wall thickening related to a long intestinal tube: incidental CT finding mimicking a pathologic condition.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this work is to describe the CT findings of small-bowel wall thickening related to a long intestinal tube in patients with bowel obstruction and to discuss the mechanism of this incidental finding.

METHOD: Ten consecutive patients with intubation of a long intestinal tube for bowel obstruction were studied retrospectively. Five cases were diagnosed as colon cancer, three as postoperative adhesion, one as Meckel diverticulitis, and one as internal hernia of the small bowel. The history and imaging studies of these patients were reviewed.

RESULTS

Small-bowel wall thickening was demonstrated in 6 of the 10 patients on CT. All findings of small-bowel wall thickening were observed along the long intestinal tube. Multiple accordion-shaped pleats were seen in five patients on longitudinal sections of the small bowel.

CONCLUSION

Although definitive pathologic proof is lacking, small-bowel wall thickening related to a long intestinal tube was thought to represent a multiply "pleated" normal small bowel along a long intestinal tube.