CLINICAL USEFULNESS OF ABDOMINAL CT-SCANNING IN HENOCH-SCHONLEIN VASCULITIS

The abdominal CT appearance is reported in a patient with Henoch-Schon lein vasculitis having symptoms of acute abdomen. Initial CT-scan show ed segmented mural thickening of the small bowel loops, strongly sugge sting the diagnosis of gastrointestinal involvement of vasculitis. Ade quate treatment was started without the need for laparotomy. The CT ap pearance completely resolved after steroid therapy. Abdominal CT-scann ing seems useful in the differential diagnosis of acute abdomen in pat ients with vasculitis.