Help understanding CT scan results?

[Deerkiller]

I'm having trouble understanding a lot of this and was hoping someone here could help out.


Exam: CT ABDOMEN PELVIS WITH CONTRAST

Indication: Left lower quadrant pain

Comparisons: Pelvic ultrasound 10/29/2020

Technique: Multiple contiguous axial CT images of the abdomen and pelvis were performed after the administration of 100 mL Isovue 370 IV contrast. Coronal and sagittal reformatted images were obtained.

Findings:

Lung bases. Heart size within normal limits.

The liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and adrenal glands. Mild splenomegaly measuring up to 13.2 cm. No focal lesion. Kidneys are unremarkable. Ureters are normal.

Urinary bladder is unremarkable. Prostate is normal for age.

The appendix is normal.

No bowel obstruction. Mild diverticulosis of the sigmoid colon without definitive pericolonic inflammation. The left colon is collapsed. Apparent long segment wall thickening of the left colon most pronounced in the sigmoid colon.

Vascular structures are unremarkable.

No intra-abdominal lymphadenopathy.

No aggressive osseous lesion. Few bone islands in the osseous pelvis.

IMPRESSION

1. No definitive acute findings.

2. Diverticulosis of the sigmoid colon without pericolonic inflammation.

3. Collapsed left colon with apparent diffuse wall thickening most pronounced in the sigmoid colon. While this is favored represent pseudothickening from underdistention, nonspecific colitis difficult to exclude.

4. Mild splenomegaly

 

[Scipio]

Translation of the Impressions:

1. Nothing was seen that really nails down a sure sign of active disease.
2. Diverticulosis (an out-pouching of the colon wall that can sometimes get inflamed) was seen in part of the colon but there was no inflammation in the area.
3. The left side of the colon has collapseded, meaning that the nromally round tube has kind of folded in on itself closing off some of the normal interior passageway of the tube. The doc thinks the most likely explanation is that this is sort of false thickening of the colon wall due to the tube passageway not being kept open because a normal amount of material is not passing through the colon. However, the the chance that the observed thickening was caused by inflammation cannot be ruled completely out. (Thickening of the bowel wall is a very common sign of inflammation in Crohn's or UC.)
4. Your spleen is mildly enlarged - perhaps suggesting some slightly higher than normal activity is going on with your immune system.

 

[Deerkiller]

Thank you very much. Been fighting stomach issues for a long time and some recent pain finally made me go in and get it checked out, although I lost my job over it.

 

[CatLover63]

Hello,
Apparently diverticulitis is so common as people getting older, nearly half of the population suffer from it. I read on a website that sufferers need to avoid seeds, nuts, popcorn and corn and coconut which could get stuck in the small pouches of the colon and cause inflammation. I've been surprised by this as the shelves in my local supermarket are full of seeded breads, crunchy peanut butter, bags of nuts for Christmas. Has anyone else heard about this ?

 

[Salita74]

Many different views on eating seeds, nuts and popcorn depending on the site you are looking at or the doc you are listening to