GIT Radiology by Prof. V. Adetiloye

Study Notes

Gastrointestinal Tract (GIT)

Part of the digestive system
Organs that food and liquids travel through from mouth to anus
Includes: mouth, pharynx, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and anus

GIT Imaging Techniques

Radiography: Chest X-ray, Abdominal X-ray (erect and supine)
Contrast Study: Fluoroscopy (Barium or water-soluble contrast)
Upper Gastrointestinal Series: Barium swallow, Barium Meal and follow-through, Enteroclysis (small bowel enema)
Lower Gastrointestinal Series: Barium Enema
Other Special Fluoroscopy Examinations: Fistulography
Ultrasound
Computed Tomography: CT enterography, CT colonoscopy
Magnetic Resonance Imaging: MR enterography
Nuclear Medicine: Chest Radiograph (for ruling out chest infection, pre-op prep, post-op evaluation, and intraperitoneal free air)

Contrast Studies

Make the GIT more visible on imaging
Coat inner surfaces of the GIT
Radio-opaque: Barium sulphate, Water soluble
Radiolucent: Gas
Administered orally or rectally, or via Enteroclysis (small bowel enema)

Mucosal Pattern and Filling Defects

Mucosal pattern: appearance of the inner surface of bowel
Abnormalities: smoothing, irregularity
Filling defects: any process occupying space within the bowel, resulting in an area of total or relative radiolucency within the barium column
Types of filling defects:
- Intraluminal: barium all around it, may be freely mobile (e.g. food, faeces)
- Intramural: causes indentation from one side only, forming a sharp angle with the bowel wall, not completely surrounded by barium (e.g. tumour)
- Extramural: causes indentation from one side only, forming a shallow angle with the bowel wall, mucosa is preserved but stretched over the filling defect (e.g. enlarged adjacent organ)

Other Radiological Signs

Stricture: circumferential or annular narrowing (differentiated from peristaltic waves), may have tapered ends, abrupt end (or shouldering)
Ulceration: visible when the crater is filled with barium, appears as an outward projection from the lumen
Haematemesis: possible lesion of the oesophagus

Normal and Abnormal Lesions of the Oesophagus

Normal: develops in the hypopharynx, typically between the cricopharyngeus muscle and the inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscle, only involves the mucosa and submucosal layers, does not involve the muscular layer
Abnormal: causes malignant strictures

Description

Test your knowledge of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and its imaging techniques. Topics include component structures, radiographs, and images of lesions. Learn about the digestive system and its organs.