Diagnostic accuracy of low-dose CT compared with abdominal radiography in non-traumatic acute XXXX : prospective study and systematic review.

@entity1 @entity158 @entity490
OBJECTIVES: Abdominal radiography is frequently used in acute abdominal non-traumatic @entity158 despite the availability of more advanced diagnostic modalities. This study evaluates the diagnostic accuracy of low-dose CT compared with abdominal radiography, at similar radiation dose levels. METHODS: Fifty-eight @entity1 were imaged with both methods and were reviewed independently by three radiologists. The reference standard was obtained from the diagnosis in medical records. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated. A systematic review was performed after a literature search, finding a total of six relevant studies including the present. RESULTS: Overall sensitivity with 95  % CI for CT was 75  % (66-83  %) and 46  % (37-56  %) for radiography. Specificity was 87  % (77-94  %) for both methods. In the systematic review the overall sensitivity for CT varied between 75 and 96  % with specificity from 83 to 95  % while the overall sensitivity for abdominal radiography varied between 30 and 77  % with specificity 75 to 88  %. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the current study and available evidence, low-dose CT has higher diagnostic accuracy than abdominal radiography and it should, where logistically possible, replace abdominal radiography in the workup of adult @entity1 with acute non-traumatic @entity490 . KEY POINTS:     Low-dose CT has a higher diagnostic accuracy than radiography.     A systematic review shows that CT has better diagnostic accuracy than radiography.     Radiography has no place in the workup of acute non-traumatic @entity490 .
