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Small-bowel enema

An underutilized method of small-bowel examination

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Abstract

The results of 88 consecutive small-bowel enemas were compared retrospectively with the results of 52 routine small-bowel series and 50 barium enemas done in the same patients. Ninety-six percent of the diagnoses made by small-bowel enema were correct, as compared to only 65% made by routine small-bowel series. The incorrect studies were mostly false negatives and the abnormalities missed included regional enteritis, small-bowel obstruction, and intestinal lymphoma. The barium enema failed to achieve ileal reflux in 26% of patients and had a 23% false negative rate when reflux was achieved. Because small-bowel series as done by conventional methods was significantly less accurate, we believe small-bowel enema should be considered in patients with suspected small-bowel disease when other studies are negative.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Oregon Health Sciences University, 3181 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Road, 97201, Portland, Oregon

    Larry Gurian MD, John Jendrzejewski MD,  Ronald Katon MD, Marcia Bilbao MD, Ray Cope MD & Clifford Melnyk MD

  2. Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Oregon Health Sciences University, 3181 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Road, 97201, Portland, Oregon

    Larry Gurian MD, John Jendrzejewski MD,  Ronald Katon MD, Marcia Bilbao MD, Ray Cope MD & Clifford Melnyk MD

Authors
  1. Larry Gurian MD
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  2. John Jendrzejewski MD
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  3. Ronald Katon MD
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  4. Marcia Bilbao MD
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  5. Ray Cope MD
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  6. Clifford Melnyk MD
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Gurian, L., Jendrzejewski, J., Katon, R. et al. Small-bowel enema. Digest Dis Sci 27, 1101–1108 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01391448

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01391448

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