Role of ultrasonography in diagnosis of neutropenic enteritis: a study of 4 cases

摘要

Neutropenic enteritis is a septic or inflammatory disease of the colon. It is usually encountered in patients with hematological malignancy who have undergone chemotherapy, and it presents as fever, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, although the symptoms are not always specific. The diagnostic features of neutropenic enteritis revealed by barium enema, CT and ultrasonography have been reported previously. Here we report 4 cases of neutropenic enteritis in which ultrasound was used for diagnosis, and also for monitoring the clinical course of the disease. Because neutropenic enteritis is rapidly progressive, early diagnosis and therapeutic intervention are required. We believe that ultrasonography is a useful method for examining patients with neutropenic enteritis, being noninvasive, mobile, and providing rapid results in real time, thus aiding early diagnosis and clinical follow-up.