DIE COMPUTERTOMOGRAPHIE UND IHRE BEDEUTUNG IN DER PRAOPERATIVEN DIAGNOSTIK DES ABDOMEN

Computerized tomography (CT) has considerably improved preoperative radiological diagnosis. Localization and extension of pathological findings are determined reliably with CT. Measurements of density in regions of interest enable a differential diagnosis. Moreover, the questions about the advisability of surgery and the likelihood of cure or palliation can be better answered by CT than by any other noninvasive procedure. With the use of CT in the abdominal region increasing, indications for conventional radiological methods have decreased considerably. In this paper, some examples are given of CT diagnoses of the liver, the pancreas, the kidneys, and the retroperitoneal space. As the techniques involved are improved, computerized tomography is certain to replace conventional diagnostic methods.