Journal of clinical ultrasound : JCU
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The use of sonography for diagnosing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been reported in the radiology literature but is not common practice in the hands of emergency physicians (EPs). We present a series of three cases where IBD was managed by an EP using point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS), and discuss the sonographic features of IBD including bowel wall thickening, increased blood flow on color Doppler, infiltration of surrounding fatty tissue, and presence of intraperitoneal fluid. Complications such as bowel strictures and peri-colic abscess are also described. We suggest that the use of POCUS for the assessment of IBD patients in the ED may expedite both diagnosis and treatment, as well as minimize the use of additional imaging.
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Pseudoaneurysm of the uterine artery is a rare complication of cesarean section. Delayed diagnosis and management may result in rapid and catastrophic postpartum hemorrhage and may necessitate hysterectomy or can even be fatal. ⋯ Using transabdominal and transvaginal Color Doppler sonography, we detected a pseudoaneurysm in the posterior uterine wall, which was successfully treated with selective embolization distal and proximal to the lesion with platinum coils. In patients with delayed postpartum hemorrhage-especially after cesarean section-the rare possibility of uterine artery pseudoaneurysm must be kept in mind.