Aim: To determine the diagnostic performance of 64-slice multidetector computed tomography (64-MDCT) in detecting periampullary duodenal diverticula.
Materials and methods: Medical profiles of 120 endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)-proven patients with (n = 100) and without (n = 20) periampullary duodenal diverticula who had undergone 64-MDCT were retrospectively reviewed. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of 64-MDCT in detecting periampullary duodenal diverticula were calculated. Potential factors that might influence the diagnostic performance of 64-MDCT in such patients were also examined.
Results: Patients were 60 males and 60 females with the mean age of 68.8 ± 12.7 (27-93) years. Indications of ERCP were common bile duct stricture (n = 62) or stone (n = 41), biliary cholestasis (n = 16) and acute cholangitis (n = 1). The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of 64-MDCT in detecting periampullary duodenal diverticula were 76%, 100%, 100%, and 45.5%, respectively. The size of diverticula was the only predictor of 64-MDCT performance, with better results observed in larger (> 20 mm) diverticula.
Conclusion: 64-MDCT is a highly specific imaging modality in detecting periampullary duodenal diverticula. The diagnostic performance of 64-MDCT increases for larger diverticula.
Keywords: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography; Multidetector computed tomography; Periampullary duodenal diverticula.