CT FINDINGS IN INFLAMMATORY BOWEL-DISEASE IN CHILDREN

CT adds valuable information in the assessment of inflammatory bowel d iseases in children [1, 2]. Although early mucosal changes are best sh own by barium studies, extramucosal and extraintestinal abnormalities are best visualized with CT. CT can be used to differentiate the vario us extramucosal abnormalities that may have similar appearances on bar ium studies, including bowel wall thickening, abscess, phlegmon, or ad enopathy. Although many inflammatory conditions of bowel may have simi lar appearances on CT scans, a careful analysis of the appearance of t he bowel wall and the associated extraintestinal abnormalities, combin ed with a review of the clinical and laboratory data, enables a specif ic diagnosis to be made in many cases.