Lesions missed on small-bowel follow-through: analysis and recommendations.

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Abstract
Forty-two surgically confirmed [human] small bowel lesions that were not detected by small bowel follow-through, but were demonstrated by enteroclysis, were analyzed to determine why small bowel follow-through had failed to detect them. Thirty lesions (71%) were not seen in retrospect; this was attributed to technical inadequacies. Twelve lesions (29%) were seen in retrospect. Of these, 2 (17%) of the lesions had been missed originally because of perceptive errors, 7 (58%) because of combined perceptive and technical errors and 3 (25%) because of interpretive errors. The preponderance of technical errors emphasizes the the need for improvements in the small bowel follow-through technique. More frequent fluoroscopy and more through compression of all filled segments, as is performed in enteroclysis and a decreased reliance on overhead radiographs should decrease the error rate in the routine small bowel follow-through examination.