OBJECTIVE: Frail, elderly and immobile @entity1 frequently have difficulty in tolerating formal colonic investigations. @entity5 may account for up to 35% of @entity5 . Barium enema and colonoscopy have limitations in assessing this region. The aims of this study were to evaluate the accuracy of a minimal preparation CT technique (merely with prolonged oral contrast medium) in identifying @entity189 and to determine helpful radiological signs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The CT technique involved helical acquisition following 2 days of preparation with oral contrast medium. The outcome of 4 years' experience (1995-1998) was reviewed. The gold-standards were pathological and @entity5 registration records, together with colonoscopy and barium enema where available, with a minimum of 15 months' follow-up. RESULTS: CT correctly identified 27 of 30 @entity189 , and missed three, in a total of 1077 CT studies in 1031 @entity1 (median age 80 years). There were also 21 false-positive cases in which CT incorrectly raised the possibility of a caecal @entity5 . The sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV) and positive predictive value ( @entity2286 ) were 90%, 98%, 99% and 56%, respectively. Serosal margin blurring, @entity5 length, presence of abnormal peri-colic fat and terminal ileal wall thickening were identified as useful radiological signs. CONCLUSIONS: Minimal preparation CT is able to identify @entity189 with fair accuracy. Such evaluation may become important given the increasing population age and evidence of a 'proximal shift' in the site of @entity5 in the elderly.

XXXX in the elderly: useful signs in minimal preparation CT.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity189 :: ('MESH:D002277', 'Disease') :: ['caecal carcinomas'] @entity2286 :: ('12211', 'Species') :: ['PPV'] @entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['Caecal tumours', 'cancer', 'colonic tumours', 'tumour']
@entity189 :: (MESH:D002277,Disease) :: ['Caecal carcinomas']
