Abstract
Custom has come to dictate an inadequate evaluation of the abdomen by allowing the kidney ureters and bladder study (KUB) to be deemed equivalent to a full study of the supine abdomen. The reason for this suboptimal approximation is related to architectural imperatives, traditional practice, and landmark studies favoring horizontal beam projections. Now, using the digital scout view in conjunction with contemporaneous computed tomography, the diagnostic importance of the uppermost abdomen, positioned beyond the superior limit of a KUB, can be demonstrated, and its sensitivity can be measured for the recognition of pneumoperitoneum. In large patients, a two-view supine abdominal series can overcome the neglect of the subdiaphragmatic region, improving our capability to recognize free air, even when its volume is less than 1 cc.
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Baker, S.R. The uppermost abdomen in the recumbent patient: The last neglected area in radiology. Emergency Radiology 5, 410–415 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02749189
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02749189