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Color doppler sonography for ventral hernias in patients with acute abdomen: Preliminary findings
Author(s) -
Liang RenJow,
Wang HsiuPo,
Huang ShihPei,
Wu MingShiang,
Lin JawTown
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of clinical ultrasound
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.272
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1097-0096
pISSN - 0091-2751
DOI - 10.1002/jcu.10003
Subject(s) - medicine , abdomen , asymptomatic , surgery , ventral hernia , radiology , acute abdomen , hernia
Purpose We assessed the usefulness of color Doppler sonography (CDUS) in evaluating the vascular status of ventral hernias and distinguishing incarcerated from nonincarcerated ventral hernias. Methods In this prospective study, 10 patients who presented with acute abdomen and had ventral hernias underwent CDUS from August 1999 to May 2000. Patient age and sex and the clinical severity, mode of therapy, and outcome in these 10 patients were evaluated in relationship to the CDUS findings. Results Five patients had readily visible flow in the bowel within the hernial sac on CDUS. Two of these 5 had spontaneous reduction under conservative treatment, and 3 had asymptomatic ventral hernias with acute abdomen caused by spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. Barely visible flow was visualized in the bowel by CDUS in 4 other patients. Three of these underwent emergency surgery because of peritoneal signs; 2 of them were found to have ischemic changes in the bowel. The fourth patient underwent a successful manual reduction. The remaining patient had absent flow in the bowel on CDUS and underwent emergency surgery, which revealed gangrenous changes in the bowel. Conclusions The intensity of the Doppler signals on CDUS appears to be a promising predictor of bowel viability in cases of ventral hernia. Thus, CDUS should impact the determination of the treatment plan, including whether to provide conservative treatment or surgery. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 29:435–440, 2001.